UK and allies agree expanded International Fund for Ukraine support
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met counterparts from Ukraine, Denmark and other key allies and partners in Copenhagen to discuss plans for long-term military support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion
Ben Wallace with his Ukrainian and Danish counterparts
At the Copenhagen Conference today, the UK and a coalition of key allies and partners have agreed to expand the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) to finance military training and equipment for Ukraine to help the country free itself from Russia’s invasion.
Britain will put £250 million of the recently announced £1 billion into the IFU, a flexible low-bureaucracy fund, which will used to provide military equipment and other support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The fund will ensure a steady flow of money not just for the provision of vital new weapons, but the essential maintenance and repair of existing kit, and training to maximise the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s effectiveness on the battlefield.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met counterparts from fellow co-hosts Denmark and Ukraine in Copenhagen, along with representatives from other partner nations, to put together a plan for long-term military support for Ukraine.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:
This conference sends a clear message to Russia. We will not tire and we will stand by Ukraine today, tomorrow and in the months to come.
The UK and partner nations have agreed to provide long-term military funding, ensuring a steady flow of finance to provide vital military equipment, essential maintenance of existing kit and maximising our UK-led international training programme for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
The allies also discussed how to evolve their support for the training of Ukrainian military personnel, including offers for expanding and coordinating the international training scheme begun by the UK.
Britain has so far trained more than 2,300 Ukrainian personnel in the UK under a training programme announced in June. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Latvia have announced they will be joining the initiative, after the Netherlands previously announced its intention to support the scheme.
It comes after the UK announced it would send additional multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) launchers, along with a significant number of precision guided rockets to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s indiscriminate use of artillery.