UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps agreed on Tuesday to provide Ukraine with tens of thousands more artillery shells as he met his new Ukrainian counterpart for the first time.
The Defence Secretary pledged the UK’s “unwavering commitment” to Ukraine as he attended the 15th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the US Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, alongside Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.
Ministers and senior officials from about 50 countries met at the base to co-ordinate international support for the war-torn nation.
It marked Mr Shapps’s first meeting with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who was promoted in a cabinet mini-reshuffle in August.
The UK has delivered more than 300,000 artillery shells to Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Defence.
“Today we’ve demonstrated the UK’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine and set out more military support, including pledging tens of thousands more artillery shells to enable Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked invasion and to retake illegally occupied territories,” Mr Shapps said following the meeting.
“To ensure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself as we approach winter, we have also set out how the UK will go further in the coming months in our priority support areas, including air defence and long-range strike capabilities and training.”
Ukraine-Russia conflict latest – in pictures
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A soldier on alert near the front line in Andriivka, 10km south of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut. AP -
An assault unit commander raises the Ukrainian flag as a symbol of liberation of the frontline village of Andriivka. AP -
Ukrainian emergency teams out a fire in Lviv. EPA -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Staten Island University Hospital, New York, where some Ukrainian soldiers are being treated for injuries sustained in the war. Reuters -
A Ukrainian farmer surveys a destroyed grain depot on his land near the frontline town of Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia region. EPA -
Schoolchildren learn to handle rifles at a military centre in Lviv. AFP -
A Ukrainian soldier fires a howitzer towards Russian troops in Donetsk region. Reuters -
A sombre funeral ceremony for a Ukrainian soldier killed in Polonne, Khmelnytskyi region. AP -
Ukrainian heavy armoured vehicles are driven into position in Donetsk region. Reuters -
A Ukrainian cadet carries a machinegun below the Motherland Monument in Kyiv. Bloomberg
“With representatives from 50 nations gathered in Ramstein today, President [Vladimir] Putin should be worried,” Sir Tony said.
“This is a tangible demonstration of the international community’s continued resolve to back Ukraine with the military support it requires through the winter and into 2024.
“The United Kingdom will continue to work with our allies and partners to help build Ukraine’s long-term resilience so it can fulfil its potential as a secure and prosperous sovereign nation.”
