Sunak visits Zelensky as UK pledges to send thousands of drones to Kyiv – live

Rishi Sunak has made a surprise visit to Ukraine today after announcing the government’s £2.5 billion military aid package for the coming year.

Number 10 said that the £2.5 billion in funding would cover long-range missiles, air defence, artillery ammunition and maritime security.

Around £200 million will also be spent on a push to procure and produce thousands of military drones, which the Government said was the largest delivery of drones to Ukraine from any nation.

Downing Street also said that additional funding to fortify Ukraine’s energy infrastructure against further Russian attacks will also be given, as well as an additional £18 million to deliver humanitarian aid on the front line.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government announced that, with help from the UK, it will promote the English language in Ukraine to boost ties.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned on Friday that Moscow would regard any move by Britain to deploy a military contingent to Ukraine as a declaration of war against Russia.

The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and Putin’s close ally made the comments in response to Rishi Sunak’s surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday.

“And I also hope that our archenemies, the impudent British understand that officially stationing their troops in Ukraine would mean declaration of war against our country,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter

Medvedev also appeared to pose a hypothetical situation where Kyiv could be targetted by Russia during the British prime minister’s visit, writing: “What would Western public say, if the British representatives happened to be bombarded with cluster ammunition in the centre of Kiev, just as was the case with our innocent civilians in Belgorod?”

Rishi Sunak has said the new aid package announced for Ukraine will send a “strong signal of support” for Ukraine that “Putin needs to recognise”.

Speaking from Kyiv, where he has gone on a surprise visit to on Friday, the prime minister said the new commitment of £2.5 billion demonstrates the “seriousness of the situation”.

“We are one of Ukraine’s most significant supporters, particularly when it comes to providing military aid,” he said.

“[The aid is] more than we’ve provided in previous years which represents the seriousness of the situation here and our determination to stand with Ukraine and that’s why I’m here on my first foreign visit of this year the first foreign leader to visit Ukraine this year.

“I want to send a strong signal of support to the Ukrainian people but also a strong signal of support that Vladimir Putin needs to recoginise we’re not going anywhere. I’m here with one clear message – the United Kingdom stands with Ukraine.”

Rishi Sunak will hold a joint press conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at lunchtime.

The PM is also expected to make a speech early this afternoon during his surprise visit to the country.

Mr Sunak has announced an extra £2.5bn in military aid for the country in its fight against Russia.

The Tory leader posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, saying he was there to deliver a message: “Our support cannot and will not falter. To all Ukrainians, Britain is with you – for as long as it takes.”

Grant Shapps said the UK has proved its “unwavering” support of Ukraine’s fightback against Russia as the Government announced it will provide £2.5 billion in military aid to the country over the coming year.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Defence Secretary said: “We said our support would be unwavering and today we’ve proved it.

“Putin hoped the West would be distracted by events in the Middle East but today we’ve taken the critical step to increase our military support to Ukraine, to get them more of what they need to win.”

The prime minister has arrived in Ukraine’s capital for his surprise visit on Friday morning.

Rishi Sunak will meet president Volodymyr Zelensky to announce a major new package of military aid to Ukraine. Mr Sunak was also pictured meeting Ukrainian emergency service staff upon his arrival in Kyiv.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday called a US plan to confiscate up to $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine “21st century piracy” and said Moscow would retaliate harshly if it happened.

A Bloomberg report published on Wednesday said that US President Joe Biden’s administration was backing legislation that would allow it to seize some frozen Russian assets in order to help rebuild Ukraine, parts of which lie in ruins after Moscow sent its army into its neighbour in February 2022.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who accused Washington of trying to strong-arm the European union into signing up to the same asset confiscation plan, said Moscow would respond harshly if its assets were stolen.

“Theft of state, private and public property has become a trademark of the Anglo-Saxons,” Zakharova told a news briefing.

“Washington (and) London have been doing it for decades. Before that it was called piracy, but then it was legalised. Now it is the piracy of the 21st century in my opinion.”

“Retaliatory measures will be taken and they will be such that they will be seen and felt. They will be painful,” she said.

A black bear who survived starvation and Russian missiles in an abandoned Ukrainian zoo has been settling into his new home in Scotland.

Yampil, named after the village he was found in, was one of the last surviving animals at the zoo abandoned ahead of the onslaught of the Russian invasion.

The Asiatic black bear was transported to the Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder, West Lothian arriving early on Friday morning.

Read the full report here:

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey was questioned about why the UK had not offered a multi-year funding commitment for Ukraine.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is £2.5 billion that effectively is the funding for tactical activity in this next year, follows £2.3 billion last year and the £2.3 billion the year before.

“These capability coalitions, there are a number of them led by different countries, but the ones that the UK are leading is principally in the maritime domain.

“They are exactly the multi-year capability development programmes that give the Ukrainians that certainty around the development of their capabilities over the arc of a decade, and equally importantly, give (Vladimir) Putin the certainty that there is no loss in patience and commitment from their (Ukraine’s) Western supporters.”

Rishi Sunak has been pictured on a train travelling through Ukraine on his way to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.

His surprise visit comes after announcing a major new package of £2.5 billion in military aid to the country over the coming year.