British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a significant military aid package for Ukraine, pledging to provide over 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles by accelerating their production. The aid is specifically aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s air defence and protecting its civilians and energy infrastructure during the upcoming winter.
Starmer made the announcement at a press conference on Friday following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from the “Coalition of the Willing.” Discussions at the summit also focused on delivering long-range missiles capable of striking deep inside Russia and securing Ukraine’s power grid against missile and drone attacks.
Sanctions and Reactions
The Coalition also committed to further action to remove Russian oil and gas from the global market by the end of the year. This follows sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump earlier in the week on Russia’s two largest gas companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in a bid to cripple Moscow’s war funding.
- Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron both praised the US sanctions, with Macron calling the move a “turning point.”
- President Zelenskyy urged allies to expand sanctions to include all Russian oil companies, its shadow fleet, and oil terminals.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the US sanctions, vowing Moscow would “never bow down to pressure.” He issued a stern warning that any strikes deep within Russian territory would be met with a “very serious and overwhelming” response.
