UK and Germany Reaffirm Ukraine Support, Germany Declines Long-Range Missiles
Rishi Sunak, the UK prime minister, and Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, pledged to support Ukraine in its war against Russia for as long as necessary during a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday.
Sunak had previously visited Poland and announced additional funding for Ukraine and plans to increase UK defense spending.
Scholz reiterated his refusal to provide long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of defending shared values in the face of Russian aggression.
Rishi Sunak, the UK's prime minister, traveled to Europe to refocus international attention on Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia.
During his visit to Poland, Sunak announced an additional £500 million ($617 million) in aid for Ukraine, bringing the UK's total contribution to £12 billion.
Ukraine has been urging allies for more ammunition and air defenses to defend against Russian attacks.
The US recently approved a $61-billion military aid package for Ukraine after six months of political deliberation.
However, EU ministers are pushing for faster arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Germany has responded by promising to send an additional Patriot air defense system.
Germany's Olaf Scholz reiterated his refusal to send long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, despite Kyiv's requests, citing the risk of escalating the conflict.
Scholz, however, assured continued support for Ukraine as the biggest supporter in Europe.
Britain's Rishi Sunak and Germany's Scholz announced plans for a joint venture to develop remote-controlled Howitzer artillery systems for Boxer armored vehicles.
Sunak also pledged to increase UK defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 during a visit to NATO ally Poland.
Rishi Sunak, the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, has warned that the West is experiencing its most perilous time since the end of the Cold War due to Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine and the potential for escalation in the Middle East.
Several NATO members, including France and Germany, have recently increased their defense spending to meet the alliance's 2% of GDP target.
Sunak did not advocate for raising the target to 2.5%, but acknowledged that more needs to be done.
EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen has urged European countries to boost their defense budgets, and the EU is planning to propose additional measures at an upcoming summit.
The EU has presented a 1.5-billion-euro strategy to enhance defense production, but officials admit that it is insufficient.
The UK, along with around 20 other countries, has joined Germany's European Sky Shield Initiative for a joint procurement of short-, medium- and long-range air defense systems.
The project includes German-made Iris-T, American Patriot system, and US-Israeli Arrow 3.
France has not signed up, preferring to develop an air defense system using European equipment.
The UK left the European Union in early 2020.
Scholz reiterated his refusal to provide long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of defending shared values in the face of Russian aggression.
Rishi Sunak, the UK's prime minister, traveled to Europe to refocus international attention on Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia.
During his visit to Poland, Sunak announced an additional £500 million ($617 million) in aid for Ukraine, bringing the UK's total contribution to £12 billion.
Ukraine has been urging allies for more ammunition and air defenses to defend against Russian attacks.
The US recently approved a $61-billion military aid package for Ukraine after six months of political deliberation.
However, EU ministers are pushing for faster arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Germany has responded by promising to send an additional Patriot air defense system.
Germany's Olaf Scholz reiterated his refusal to send long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, despite Kyiv's requests, citing the risk of escalating the conflict.
Scholz, however, assured continued support for Ukraine as the biggest supporter in Europe.
Britain's Rishi Sunak and Germany's Scholz announced plans for a joint venture to develop remote-controlled Howitzer artillery systems for Boxer armored vehicles.
Sunak also pledged to increase UK defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 during a visit to NATO ally Poland.
Rishi Sunak, the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, has warned that the West is experiencing its most perilous time since the end of the Cold War due to Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine and the potential for escalation in the Middle East.
Several NATO members, including France and Germany, have recently increased their defense spending to meet the alliance's 2% of GDP target.
Sunak did not advocate for raising the target to 2.5%, but acknowledged that more needs to be done.
EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen has urged European countries to boost their defense budgets, and the EU is planning to propose additional measures at an upcoming summit.
The EU has presented a 1.5-billion-euro strategy to enhance defense production, but officials admit that it is insufficient.
The UK, along with around 20 other countries, has joined Germany's European Sky Shield Initiative for a joint procurement of short-, medium- and long-range air defense systems.
The project includes German-made Iris-T, American Patriot system, and US-Israeli Arrow 3.
France has not signed up, preferring to develop an air defense system using European equipment.
The UK left the European Union in early 2020.
Translation:
Translated by AI
