March 21, 2024 (EIRNS)—Britain’s Daily Mail yesterday cited “senior defense sources” as reporting that Kiev is upset at the U.K.’s lagging support, with Germany providing more military equipment and France talking tougher. When Boris Johnson was the Prime Minister, the U.K. led the way. Since mid-2023, Germany with €9.36 billion and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway) with a collective €9.12 Billion far surpass the U.K.’s €5 billion of aid to Ukraine.
One source is quoted: “The U.K. was the first country to give N-LAW anti-tank rocket launchers, the first country to pledge tanks, so we received some leeway from Kyiv. But we are not pushing through capability thresholds any more. We’ve spent our political capital with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and we are not spending enough on military aid…. It is France’s President Emmanuel Macron who is taking center stage. He is daring to say that NATO forces may have to confront Russian troops in Ukraine, that provides reassurance. President Macron has seized the moment at a crucial time…. The Ukrainians are disappointed with Britain’s stance at the moment. Germany has also told the U.K. it has to do more. From where we once were, it is galling to be told that.”
The Daily Mail received a response from the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense: “The U.K. continues to lead military support for Ukraine as the first country to provide lethal aid as well as the first to provide Western main battle tanks and long-range precision strike capability. We have committed more than £7 billion of military support to Ukraine, including £2.5 billion in 2024/25.”
