London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 31, 2026

UK pledges an extra £1bn in military support to Ukraine

UK pledges an extra £1bn in military support to Ukraine

The UK will provide an additional £1bn in military aid for Ukraine, a near-doubling in its support for the fight against the Russian invasion.
The new funding takes the military aid given to Kyiv to £2.3bn - and the UK has also spent £1.5bn in humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine.

Boris Johnson said British spending was "transforming Ukraine's defenses".

The pledge came after President Zelensky urged Nato leaders to do more to help Ukraine's war effort.

Mr Zelensky told Nato leaders the monthly cost of defence for Ukraine was around $5bn (£4.12bn).

The UK is second only to the US in terms of military aid for Ukraine - the US recently approved a $40bn (£33bn) package of support.

The new British aid will go towards paying for "sophisticated air defence systems", drones, electronic warfare equipment, and "thousands of pieces of vital kit", the UK government said.

The new £1bn is set to come from departmental underspends, the UK government said, plus £95 million from the Welsh and Scottish governments' budgets.

An "underspend" means departments spent less than anticipated, not that government finances were in surplus overall. Public sector borrowing was £151.8bn in the year ending March 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Announcing the extra support, the government claimed the equipment was the first step to helping Ukraine recover territory lost to Russia, on top of their "valiant defence".

But questions remain about whether the aid will be sufficient.

Addressing Nato leaders at their summit in Madrid on Wednesday via video link, Mr Zelensky said they needed more modern weapons systems and artillery to "break the Russian artillery advantage".

"Russia still receives billions every day and spends them on war. We have a multibillion-dollar deficit, we don't have oil and gas to cover it," Mr Zelensky said.

Also speaking in the Spanish capital, Mr Johnson said: "Putin's brutality continues to take Ukrainian lives and threaten peace and security across Europe.

"As Putin fails to make the gains he had anticipated and hoped for and the futility of this war becomes clear to all, his attacks against the Ukrainian people are increasingly barbaric.

"UK weapons, equipment and training are transforming Ukraine's defences against this onslaught."

Foreign secretary Liz Truss told the BBC the UK's contribution would enable the Ukrainians to succeed as "they are not just fighting for themselves, they are fighting for all of us".

But when asked if £1bn was anywhere near enough the amount needed by Ukraine, she said the UK was helping the nation kickstart its economy and reconstruct.

She added: "It's not a blank cheque and we are providing specific amounts of funding... we've been very clear with them we will not let them down.

"We will continue to support them in the long term in whichever way we can, in a way that we can afford."

The UK's commitment comes as the members of Nato agreed a 10-year "strategic concept" to address future threats to European and global security.

At the same time, the US government announced it will increase its military presence across Europe as Nato agreed a "fundamental shift" in its response to Russia's invasion.

The UK currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence, which is above the 2% target set by Nato and among the highest of member nations.

However, the defence budget has been the source of tension between No 10 and Ministry of Defence (MoD), amid calls for more funding for the armed forces.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters in Madrid: "To be fair, No 10 does say 'if you include the extra Ukrainian spend', they have put a sort of caveat to that.

"Because of course it isn't core defence spending. I mean, it is not my core budget, it doesn't buy me any more planes, tanks or ships."

Wallace added it was "obliquely helping Britain's defence because we're helping Ukraine".

But Labour's shadow defence secretary John Healey said government plans to cut another 10,000 soldiers from the army was embarrassing for the UK.

He told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: "It's not responding to the greater threats we face, and it's putting at risk our Nato obligations."

But he declined to answer if a Labour government would spend more on defence.

As well as providing aid, the UK is also training Ukrainian troops.

The UK trained more than 22,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of Operation Orbital, which ran from 2015 until the invasion in February.

And earlier this month, Mr Johnson announced a new UK-led training program for Ukrainian forces, which will take place overseas. The MoD said it has the potential to train up to 10,000 troops every 120 days.

Over the past few weeks, more than 450 Ukrainian troops have been receiving training in Wiltshire to operate the weapons provided by the UK.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Parliamentary Petitions Committee Schedules Major Legislative Debates on Special Educational Needs and Non-Stun Meat Labelling
Regional Devolution and Good Growth Fund Frameworks Reshape Local Government Funding Across English Regions
Loughborough University Economic Analysts Highlight Substantial Uncertainty Surrounding Public Sector Efficiency Savings
British Legal Sector Drives Sixty Billion Pounds in Annual Economic Output While Employing Over Half a Million Professionals
Law Society Welcomes New Better Regulation Executive While Pressing for Long-Term Legal Aid Funding Reform
Metropolitan Police and Security Services Heighten Operations Across London Ahead of Large-Scale Public Demonstrations
Bank of England Economists Scrutinize Corporate Tax Adjustments and Public Sector Borrowing Pressures
Chancellor John Healey Defends Autumn Budget Tax and Spending Allocations Following Intense Parliamentary Scrutiny
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Implements Strict Water Quality Monitoring Rules Following Severe Rainfall and Flooding
Welsh Government Unveils Comprehensive Regional Housing Strategy to Address Rural Affordability and Homelessness Pressures in Cardiff
Office for National Statistics Reports Slowing Consumer Price Inflation and Steady Retail Performance Across United Kingdom Markets
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly Advance Cross-Border Infrastructure Agreement in Belfast
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Investigation Into Artificial Intelligence Partnerships Involving Major Technology Corporations
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Secures Cross-Party Support for Devolved Budget Framework and Renewable Energy Expansion
High Court Rules in Favor of Environmental Campaigners Over Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Licensing Procedures
National Health Service England Announces Major Digital Modernization and Artificial Intelligence Diagnostic Rollout Across Regional Trusts
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Cuts Amid Persistent Wage Growth and Inflation Pressures
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves Outline Strategic Infrastructure Plans to Boost Regional Growth and Private Investment
Water pollution remains high despite £5bn investment
Regional Economic Divergence and Industrial Transformation
Technological Sovereignty and Regulatory Scrutiny
Fiscal Consolidation and Public Service Pressures
Automotive Industry Leadership Warns of Imminent Supply Chain Disruptions Following Recent European Trade Negotiations
High Court Delivers Landmark Ruling Affirming Strict Legal Protections for Corporate Data Privacy Against State Surveillance
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan Secures Additional Funding for Regional Transport Infrastructure and Rail Modernization
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Announces Major Green Energy Infrastructure Investment Package for Aberdeen
Department for Work and Pensions Proposes Sweeping Welfare Reforms to Incentivize Long-Term Unemployed Back into Work
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Investigation into Artificial Intelligence Partnerships Involving Major Tech Giants
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes High-Level Strategic Talks in Washington on Middle East Security
National Health Service England Unveils Emergency Winter Resilience Plan to Combat Projected Surge in Emergency Admissions
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Cuts Amid Persistent Inflation
British Chancellor Rachel Reeves Finalizes Corporate Tax Overhaul Ahead of Autumn Budget to Fund Public Services
Automotive Manufacturers Urge Government Action as High Energy Costs and Global Supply Chain Disruptions Threaten Production
Metropolitan Police Issue Formal Apology Following Inadvertent Release of Confidential Information During High-Profile Investigation
Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison Unveils Devolved Budget Highlighting Housing and Public Service Adjustments
Energy Regulator Office of Gas and Electricity Markets Prepares to Remove Household Gas Standing Charges Following Treasury Mandate
Treasury Confirms Reversal of Planned Cash Individual Savings Account Allowance Reduction Protecting Twenty Thousand Pound Limit
Office for Budget Responsibility Revisions Predict Moderate United Kingdom Economic Growth with Elevated Inflation Pressures
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget in Parliament Highlighting Temporary Bank Surcharge and Cost-of-Living Support
Met Office Issues Extended Forecast Highlighting Stable High Pressure Weather Patterns Across the United Kingdom
Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison Outlines Changes to Tax Thresholds and Residential Property Levies in Edinburgh
Financial Markets and Government Bond Yields Remain Stable Following Muted Reaction to Autumn Budget Measures
Defence Committee Chair Tan Dhesi Criticizes Budget for Delaying Critical Defence Spending Decisions to Next Year
International Monetary Fund Forecasts United Kingdom Economic Growth at One Point Three Percent for Year
Office for Budget Responsibility Assesses Fiscal Headroom Reduced to Fifteen Billion Pounds Following Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget Introducing Household Energy Support and Bank Tax Hikes
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Faces Binding Vote Challenge as Local Councillors Launch High Court Legal Battle
Housebuilding Across Scotland Falls to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Declarations of a Housing Emergency
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown Organizes National Innovation Summit in Manchester to Boost Regional Competitiveness
UK Government Faces Mounting Criticism Over Lack of Environmental Consultation During Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Talks
×