In a significant move to strengthen its support for Ukraine, the UK government and defence industry have pledged to deepen cooperation with Ukraine's leadership. This comes as Russia continues its military aggression in eastern Ukraine. President Zelenskyy met with British Defence and Business Secretaries in London on July 18, 2024, to discuss deeper collaboration and boost industrial production for Ukraine.
The UK government has pledged £3bn a year for military support to Ukraine. BAE Systems is providing maintenance and repair services for weapons supplied by the UK in a facility in Ukraine. The MOD has agreed to regenerate the UK's ability to produce forgings for gun barrels, supporting Ukrainian vehicle repair and overhaul.
BAE Systems also announced a six-month extension to its contract with the MOD, which will continue to provide maintenance, repair and asset management of vehicles. Sheffield Forgemasters is working in partnership with the MOD to support the repair and overhaul of Ukrainian vehicles. UK Export Finance has provided financing for defence exports from ADS members.
The defence industry's support for Ukraine is unwavering, as evidenced by the robust pipeline of trade missions that have enabled industry, from Primes to SMEs, to contribute to Ukraine's defence and learn from their allies in turn. The UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Donald Trump on his Republican nomination for the presidential race. However, he also condemned the assassination attempt against Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.
In other news, a Russian missile hit a residential area in Mykolaiv, killing a child and two adults and injuring others. A German citizen was sentenced to death in Belarus after a secret trial on charges including terrorism and mercenary activities. Poland made a decision that would speed up the delivery of F-16 jets to Ukraine, but details were not provided.
The war in Ukraine has become one of industrial production, with government and industry united in their shared commitment to supporting Ukraine's defence.