The leaders of Britain and France pledged to provide Ukraine with stronger military support – including access to classified technology and faster deliveries of air defence missiles – at a meeting of allies to mark Kyiv’s independence day celebrations.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, in Kyiv on his first foreign visit since taking office last month, urged the gathering of the “Coalition of the Willing” to “do everything we can” to bolster Ukraine’s defences against Russian air strikes.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had earlier praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people during more than four years of war.
“Ukraine absolutely wants peace, but it is not ready to simply surrender,” Zelenskiy said, adding that Russia would not halt its aggression even if Ukraine ceded to its demands for more territory in the country’s east.
Wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt, Zelenskiy thanked foreign leaders for travelling to Kyiv to show their support on the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s break from the Soviet Union.
Standing alongside Zelenskiy and European Council President Antonio Costa, Burnham said his choice of Kyiv for his first foreign visit showed the importance he attached to assisting in Ukraine’s defence.
“We are with you in this struggle all the way, heart and soul,” Burnham said, vowing to continue that support “despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country.”
“This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia. The moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war,” Burnham said, calling for further economic sanctions.
Britain announced yesterday it would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start its own production of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, capable of carrying out strikes deep within Russia. France has already given its assent to license the technology for the European missile.
In response, the Kremlin said the use of classified British technology would “add fuel to the fire” of their worsening relations, after it warned London last week there would be “consequences” for supplying drones to Kyiv.
With Russia escalating its ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, Kyiv is suffering an acute shortage of the US-made Patriot air defence interceptors – the only weapon in its arsenal capable of downing such missiles.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed at least 300 interceptors to make it through the winter, and he appealed to allies to deliver an air defence package before Russia renews its strikes on his country’s energy infrastructure.
French President Emmanuel Macron, co-chairing the coalition meeting via video link, said that a string of deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks had shown that allies needed to step up the deliveries of interceptors and France would do its part.
“I think it’s very important that all of us accelerate in terms of delivery,” Macron told the meeting, urging countries not to back down in the face of Russian intimidation.
“The bottom line is, for me, very clear: keep calm and carry on.”
Zelenskiy told the meeting that Ukraine’s war effort was complicated by a $27-billion defence funding gap this year and appealed for additional financial support.
He suggested that Russia’s frozen overseas assets could be used to finance the deficit.
Paying tribute to Ukrainian people and soldiers defending Ukraine in the war, Zelenskiy called on allies to give it “everything” needed to stop the war.
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