UK readies new military aid for Ukraine worth $286 mln, addresses sending troops for training
Photo: John Healey, head of the British Ministry of Defense (Getty Images)
UK Defense Minister John Healey announced a new defense aid package for Ukraine worth £225 million ($286 million). He also expressed support for deploying British troops to Ukraine as part of a training mission, reports The Telegraph.
Details of the new defense package
The additional defense aid package from London will include:
- Equipment to bolster Ukraine’s navy, including small boats, reconnaissance drones, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned munitions, and mine-clearing drones, worth £92 million (approximately $116 million).
- Air defense equipment, including radars, ground-based decoys, and electronic warfare systems against drones, worth £68 million (about $85.6 million).
- Maintenance and spare parts for systems previously supplied to Ukraine, valued at £26 million (nearly $33 million).
- Over 1,000 systems for electronic warfare against drones, joint procurement of respirators, and equipment to enhance Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, worth £39 million (about $49 million).
UK troops may be deployed to Ukraine for training
Healey also addressed the possibility of deploying British troops to Ukraine to train Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers.
Speaking to The Times, he emphasized the need to "work with the Ukrainians to help them motivate and mobilize more recruits." Healey stated that training programs should better align with Ukraine's specific needs.
When asked if this meant expanding training programs from the UK into Ukraine, Healey responded, "We will look wherever we can to respond to what the Ukrainians want," adding that Ukrainian forces are actively engaged in combat.
Former UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps had previously expressed support for such a move in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph.
However, Healey is now the first member of the new UK government to propose a similar initiative.
Healey stressed that Ukraine must approach any potential negotiations with Russia from a position of strength, not weakness. He added that Ukraine must continue building its ability to fight and deter Russian aggression.
Announcing the additional aid package, Healey remarked that nearly three years after Russian President Vladimir Putin "launched his illegal full-scale invasion, the depths of his miscalculation are clearer than ever, as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defy all expectations with their unbreakable spirit."
"But they cannot go it alone - which is why the UK will step up our international leadership on Ukraine throughout 2025," Healey said.
Speaking to LBC on Thursday, he described this moment as a critical period for Ukraine.
"Russians are putting Ukraine under pressure on the front line, but Putin himself is showing signs of weakness, calling in North Korean troops to reinforce his own army, walking out on Assad, and failing to defend his own positions in Syria," Healey said.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House of Commons in Westminster unanimously approved a financial aid bill for Ukraine. The legislation allows the UK government to provide loans and other financial assistance to Ukraine.
Issue of sending Western troops to Ukraine
Notably, NATO has repeatedly stated that it does not plan to send troops to Ukraine. However, Kyiv has never made such a request.
In addition, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the spring that each NATO member is responsible for deciding whether to send Western troops to Ukraine. The president emphasized that, for now, this is just talk — Ukraine has not been offered anything yet.
Meanwhile, according to US media reports from May this year, NATO allies are gradually moving toward the decision to send their troops to Ukraine. These troops would be used to train Ukrainian forces.
Since February 2024, Western leaders have been discussing the initiative proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the potential deployment of troops to Ukraine. There is still no consensus on this idea.
Additionally, in May, France announced that it was ready to send military instructors to Ukraine. Macron stated that Paris aims to form a coalition to train the Ukrainian armed forces on their territory.
Currently, the European Union is actively discussing the potential deployment of peacekeepers to Ukraine. This is being considered in the context of a possible placement along the front line to ensure security during negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, as well as the freezing of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Recently, Reuters learned about the likely number of such European peacekeeping forces that might eventually be deployed to Ukraine.
