London, Oct 29 (IANS) The United Kingdom would provide 10 billion pounds (13 billion US dollars) of additional economic and military support to Ukraine, said British Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey.
In the Budget 2026 speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday (local time), Healey said the 10 billion pounds of additional economic and military support is “based on loans, Export Finance guarantees, and half a billion in urgent military funding for this winter.”
He said British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Wednesday to tell him about the commitments.
“This is the largest ever package of funding for Ukraine from the UK,” said Burnham.
With the announcement on Wednesday, Britain has committed a total of 35 billion pounds (47 billion dollars) for Ukraine, including 16 billion pounds (21 billion dollars) in military support, according to the British government, reports Xinhua news agency.
This funding will help Ukraine meet its immediate needs and support economic resilience, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said on social media on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Burnham’s first 100 days in office, which fell on Tuesday, have seen him put forward plans to devolve more power to the regions, reconsider Brexit, and pursue a more independent foreign policy.
Since taking office on July 20, the former mayor of Greater Manchester has helped the Labour Party recover from the stark drop in popularity it experienced under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
An analysis of polling data by the Press Association shows that Labour’s average support has risen by around 10 percentage points compared with the period immediately before Starmer announced his resignation in June.
Nevertheless, Burnham faces growing pressure to turn his proposals into results, with constitutional tensions, the legacy of Brexit and disagreements with Washington testing his government.
–IANS
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