Great Britain will provide Ukraine with an additional £10bn in support, of which £3bn will go toward weapons deliveries, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday, 28 October, after a conversation with Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Zelensky shared the information in a post on X. As quoted by the agency Ukrinform/Eurointegration, he said the package consists of two parts: £7bn in economic support spread over the next three years and £3bn in British export support. The second part is intended primarily for purchasing necessary weapons.
The Ukrainian president stressed that the money is in addition to the annual aid London already provides to Kyiv. He called the decision a „very timely step” that is meant to show Russia that Ukraine will not be left alone.
Sanctions and talks with the prime minister
According to Zelensky’s account, the conversation with Burnham also covered sanctions against Russia. The president stressed that Great Britain remains firm toward Moscow. He added that every step strengthening Ukraine brings Russia closer to understanding that it must end this war.
Background: Ukraine’s budget gap
The announcement comes as the European Union appeals to partners, including Britain, Canada and Norway, for additional funding for Ukraine. As Eurointegration reports, the European Commission has acknowledged that in 2027 Ukraine’s budget will be short by €70bn, which international partners must cover. According to this outlet’s conversion, the announced £10bn is about €11.9bn.
What is still missing
At the time of publication, we had not seen an official statement from the British government confirming the amounts and details. It is therefore unclear exactly which instruments the export support covers, in what form it will be provided (grants or credit guarantees), and when the first payments and deliveries will begin.
What it means
For Poland the decision has an indirect significance: it reduces part of the missing funding the Union is seeking from partners, and thus the pressure on European states to contribute more to Ukraine’s budget. Earlier, Poland announced its own, much smaller contribution of $100 million for American weapons under PURL. Details of the British package are expected to be clarified after the London government’s statement.
