UK puts defense industry on 'war footing' with $620 million in new military aid to Ukraine

Warsaw, Poland — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Tuesday that the country is putting its defense industry on a war footing by increasing defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade, amid concerns about NATO regarding the possible repercussions of the Russian war in Ukraine.

Sunak announced a spending increase well above NATO's 2% target during a visit to the Polish capital Warsaw. This follows a new commitment to send weapons worth 500 million pounds ($620 million) to Ukraine, including missiles, armored vehicles and ammunition.

He described the spending increase as the biggest boost to our national defense in a generation. »

In a world that has never been more dangerous since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent,” he said at a press conference alongside the Secretary General of the NATO, Jens Stoltenberg As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests and our values.

Sunak has promised an extra 75 billion pounds ($93 billion) in defense spending over the next six years. The 2.5% GDP spending target was a recommitment to a target set by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022.

Sunak and his Treasury chief, Jeremy Hunt, had previously said the 2.5% target would only be met when economic conditions allowed.

We will put the UK's defense industry on a war footing, Sunak told an audience of British soldiers serving on NATO's Eastern Front. One of the main lessons of the war in Ukraine is that we need larger ammunition stocks and the industry can replenish them more quickly.

Under the new spending plan, Britain's defense budget will increase immediately and then rise steadily to reach 87 billion pounds by the end of the decade.

Ten years ago, NATO leaders agreed to spend 2% of GDP on defense spending. Britain has spent more than that amount over the past decade, but never more than 2.35% in 2020, according to NATO data.

Official UK figures show that defense spending last year was around £55.5 billion. NATO data showed this was around 2.07% of the UK's GDP, ahead of countries like France and Germany, but behind Poland, the US, Estonia and others. others.

Sunak spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to confirm the aid and “assure him of the United Kingdom's unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's brutal and expansionist ambitions,” the office said. Sunak.

British officials said the new commitment to Ukraine included 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 munitions and 4 million rounds of ammunition, at a time when Ukraine is struggling to contain advancing Russian forces on the front line Eastern War, which is now in its third war. year.

The delivery will include British long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of around 150 miles (240 kilometers) and have proven effective in hitting Russian targets.

Sunak said Britain's commitment shows that Ukraine is not alone and will never be alone.

However, Downing Street did not say whether the aid would be immediately available for delivery. Zelensky has pleaded for more international aid, warning that his country would lose the war without it.

The announcement comes three days after the U.S. House of Representatives approved $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, as U.S. lawmakers rushed to deliver a new round of U.S. support to the war-torn ally. The Senate was expected to vote on the package Tuesday.

Ammunition shortages over the past six months have led Ukrainian military commanders to ration shells, a disadvantage Russia has taken advantage of this year by taking the town of Avdiivka and currently moving towards the town of Chasiv Yar, also in the eastern Donetsk region.

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Hui reported from London.

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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine