UK Pledges £3bn Annual Military Aid to Ukraine, Open to Strikes Inside Russia

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has promised £3 billion ($3.74 billion) of annual military aid to Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” stating that London has no objection to the weapons being used inside Russia.

Speaking to Reuters during his visit to Kyiv, Cameron said, “We will give £3 billion every year for as long as is necessary. We’ve just really emptied all we can in terms of giving equipment.”

He emphasized that this aid package marked the largest commitment from the UK to date.

“Some of that [equipment] is actually arriving in Ukraine today, while I’m here,” Cameron added.

Cameron stated that Ukraine had the right to use the weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia, emphasizing that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

“Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it’s defending itself,” he said outside St. Michael’s Cathedral.

The former UK Prime Minister, who returned to frontline politics several months ago, met Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelensky on his second visit to Kyiv as foreign secretary.

Celebrating the release of a long-delayed $60 billion aid package by the US Congress, Cameron said, “It’s absolutely crucial, not just in terms of the weapons it will bring, but also the boost to morale that it will bring to people here in Ukraine.”

Other Topics of Interest

NATO, Ukraine to Meet Tuesday Over Russian Missile Strike

Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Moscow had hit Ukraine using a new-generation intermediate-range missile -- which he hinted was capable of unleashing a nuclear payload.

However, Cameron refrained from speculating on the possible re-election of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump to the White House and its implications for US support for Ukraine.

Trump and hardline Republicans in Congress oppose further aid to Ukraine, except for possible loans.

“It’s not for us to decide who the Americans choose as their president – we will work with whoever that is,” Cameron stated, adding that the strategy for Ukraine’s allies ought to be to ensure Ukraine is on the front foot by the time of the US elections in November.