British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared military assistance for Ukraine, pledging to supply 5,000 lightweight missiles to bolster its air defense against Russia during the winter period. The announcement came following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other global leaders in the “Coalition of the Willing.”
During the summit, Starmer, Zelenskyy, and other leaders discussed strategies to equip Ukraine with long-range missiles capable of targeting deep inside Russia. Starmer emphasized the need to safeguard Ukraine’s power grid from potential Russian drone and missile attacks as winter approaches.
“We are enhancing Ukraine’s air defense capabilities to protect its civilians and critical infrastructure. Today, I am pleased to announce the acceleration of our UK program to supply Ukraine with over 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles,” stated Starmer. Additionally, he highlighted the coalition’s commitment to eliminating Russian oil and gas from the global market by year-end.
Addressing the media, Zelenskyy expressed concerns about Russia exploiting cold weather to exert pressure on Ukraine. He called for sanctions against all Russian oil companies, shadow fleets, and oil terminals to disrupt Russia’s war funding. Starmer praised the recent sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump on Rosneft and Lukoil, describing the move as decisive, while French President Emmanuel Mancron hailed it as a significant development.
In response to the US sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that Moscow would not yield to external pressure and warned of a strong retaliation to any attacks deep within Russian territory.