Starmer: Ukraine will receive $2 billion for 5,000 air defense missiles (UPDATE)

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, announced that Ukraine will receive £1.6 billion (approximately $2 billion) to acquire over 5,000 air defense missiles.

This statement was made following the conclusion of the European leaders' summit on Ukraine, as reported in a Telegraph broadcast.

“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthening Ukraine's ability to ensure peace when it arrives, because we must learn from the mistakes of the past,” emphasized the British Prime Minister.

According to him, the missiles will be manufactured in Belfast, creating months of work in the UK's defense sector. Additionally, Starmer reminded that just before this, the UK signed a loan agreement with Ukraine worth £2.26 billion ($3.2 million), which will be funded from frozen Russian assets.

The UK Prime Minister also mentioned that several countries expressed their willingness to work together to ensure peace in Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that each of them must independently decide what contribution they wish to make.

“We have been able to push this forward. I accept without criticism and with respect the position of other countries that may not feel they want to make such a contribution, but I firmly believe that if no one moves the situation forward, we will remain in the position we are in,” Starmer noted.

He stressed that any long-lasting peace must ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security, and if a peace agreement is reached, he promised that partners would continue to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.

He stated that the UK is ready to support a peace agreement “with boots on the ground and planes in the air.” At the same time, he emphasized that European nations need to collaborate with the U.S. to support peace.

“We are working with the U.S. on this matter following my meeting with President [Donald] Trump last week, and let me be clear: we agree with the President on the urgent need for lasting peace,” the British Prime Minister declared.

Starmer also noted that any peace agreement will require Russia's involvement, but Moscow should not dictate the guarantees that can be offered to Ukraine.

He mentioned that following the summit, the leaders agreed to meet again soon to continue working on a joint plan to end the war.

Updated at 21:18. Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that Ukraine will receive over 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) and launchers for them by 2030.

These missiles can destroy Shahed drones and have already proven effective in battles from 2022 to 2024, the Defense Minister added.

More about the summit in London

On March 2, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted 19 leaders from Europe and Canada at a summit in the UK to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and broader European security.

The meeting was a continuation of summits held on February 17 and 19 at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. However, it occurred against the backdrop of a dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Starmer stated that the UK and France agreed to work with Ukraine on a peace plan, which will then be presented to Washington.