UK to send hundreds more missiles to Ukraine, funded by frozen Russian assets

New Delhi, Jun 25: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major new military aid package for Ukraine, confirming that Britain will send “hundreds more defence missiles” to Kyiv, the BBC reported from the NATO summit. Notably, the shipment will be funded using frozen Russian assets, not British taxpayer money.

“This investment can also benefit the UK by becoming a job-creating machine,” Starmer said. He also revealed that the UK will procure 12 new F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons, calling it “the biggest strengthening of the UK's deterrence posture in a generation,” reports BBC. The Royal Air Force’s nuclear capabilities are being revived after more than three decades, marking what Starmer described as “the return of the RAF to nuclear deterrence.”

Starmer reaffirmed Britain’s “unshakeable commitment to NATO” and stressed the importance of supporting Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. “We want to keep Ukraine in the fight today,” he said. The UK joins other NATO members in pledging over `35 billion in aid to Ukraine this year, reports the BBC.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte echoed similar sentiments, declaring: “We stand by Ukraine in its pursuit of peace and the path to NATO membership.” While NATO’s final declaration did not directly mention Russian aggression in Ukraine, officials clarified that the alliance’s stance on Moscow’s full-scale invasion remains unchanged.

Responding to questions about US President Donald Trump, Starmer said the US remains a reliable ally and that Washington kept London informed during last week’s Israel-Iran conflict. He also acknowledged the growing threat of “state-backed actions” and urged the UK to take them seriously, but stopped short of calling for Cold War-style civilian preparedness.