Britain's Promise to Send Hundreds of Anti-Aircraft Missiles and Long-Range Drones to Ukraine

On Monday, Britain announced that a new military aid package, including hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles and long-range attack drones with a range of over 200 kilometers, will be delivered to Ukraine in the coming days. Britain also stated that this summer it will begin training Ukrainian pilots and 'efforts to collaborate with other countries on supplying F-16 jets.' This announcement came after a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Mr. Zelensky visited Britain on Monday as part of his European tour. He welcomed London's decisions while reiterating Ukraine's request for NATO membership and urging a decision on this matter at the NATO summit in July in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. In response, the Kremlin stated that Russia has a 'very negative' view of Britain's aid to Ukraine but does not believe that London's assistance will change the course of the conflict. Reports indicate that Rishi Sunak told Volodymyr Zelensky during their meeting: 'It is good for Moscow to know that we are not going anywhere. We are here for a long-term presence.' The Ukrainian president had previously traveled to Germany, Italy, and France to negotiate military assistance from these countries to counter the Russian invasion. In this context, Germany announced on Sunday that it would provide a support package of about $3 billion to Kyiv, the largest aid package from Germany since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. Zelensky stated in a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: 'It is time to decide on the end of the war this year' and added: 'We can make an irreversible defeat for the aggressor this year.' Subsequently, following a meeting between the Ukrainian president and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on Sunday, Paris announced that it would send light tanks and armored vehicles to Ukraine 'in the coming weeks.' In this regard, France committed to continuing its military, political, economic, and humanitarian support for Ukraine 'for as long as necessary.' France also stated that it would support Ukraine's air defense and this year would train 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers in France and another 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers in Poland. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that France would support Ukraine regarding the supply of fighter jets from its allies. Western countries have so far refrained from sending advanced fighter jets, such as U.S.-made F-16s, to Ukraine. It seems that Ukraine, after months of defense, is now planning a counter-offensive against Russia to reclaim territories occupied by Russian forces.