Visiting Kyiv, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron pledged annual military aid of three billion pounds (3.5 billion euros) to Ukraine “for as long as it takes” in an interview with Reuters on Thursday, adding that Ukraine has the “right” to use British-supplied weapons to attack Russia on its territory, on Friday, the 3rd of May, reports Politico.
Cameron said it was up to Ukraine to decide how to use the UK weapons, which he said arrived in Ukraine the same day.
Asked whether this also applied to targets inside Russia, he replied: “Ukraine has that right.
Since Russia is attacking inside Ukraine, one can understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure that it defends itself.”
Since the start of the war, Ukraine’s Western partners have imposed one condition for Kyiv to continue receiving military aid – not to strike inside Russia. But countries including Finland and Latvia have since declared their support for Ukraine’s right to use the weapons it has been given to defend itself, including strikes in Russia.
This support comes a week after the UK announced a military aid package, with Cameron adding that the three billion pounds of annual military aid is the largest ever from the UK and will be provided “for as long as it takes”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Cameron for his support but stressed that it was important that
weapons from the new aid package reach Ukraine as soon as possible.
“First of all, armoured vehicles, ammunition and missiles of all kinds,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying.
Cameron, a former British prime minister who returned to politics at the end of last year, was on his second visit to Kyiv as foreign minister, meeting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Also read: Ukraine may have talks with Russia eventually
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