The UK is entering a “new phase” in its supply of military equipment to Ukraine, as it provides kit which will help the country’s defenders regain territory from the faltering Russian invaders, cabinet has been told.
Downing Street declined to say what new equipment will be sent to president Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, but indicated that it will not include tanks or other materiel which might escalate the crisis by being viewed by Moscow as offensive, rather than defensive.
But Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said the UK was “considering all possible options when it comes to making sure the Ukrainian government have what they need to defend themselves”.
In a phone call with other leaders the Quint group – the US, UK, France, Germany and Italy – on Tuesday, Mr Johnson will urge allies to step up their military, diplomatic and economic support for Kyiv.
Mr Johnson told this morning’s weekly meeting of cabinet that a Russian ceasefire would not be enough for the UK to ease its sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s regime.
He declined to set a threshold for relaxing sanctions, but pointed to a recent article in which foreign secretary Liz Truss said it must involve at least a ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from Ukrainian territory.
Joint Intelligence Committee chair Sir Simon Gass briefed cabinet that Putin’s ambition swiftly to conquer Ukraine and topple its government had failed “due to staunch opposition, poor planning and defensive support provided by countries like the UK,” said Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson.
He added that Putin’s regime was “seeking to apportion blame for that failure and there were ongoing reports of poor morale and military failures”.
Chief of defence staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin told the meeting that the UK was “heading for a new phase in its support for Ukraine as the Ukrainian army sought to defend and regain territory”.
Asked what form this new phase of support will take, Mr Johnson’s spokesperson told reporters: “It was reflecting that the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian military have different asks of us as we provide further defensive military capability.
“Obviously they are in a different place in their situation. There was the invasion and now they are seeking to defend and also regain territory.”
He added: “What we want to do is make sure that we are responding to what President Zelensky requires, what the Ukrainian government requires to defend its country – and they are being extremely successful in that, in part because of some of the equipment we are providing.
“Now we are looking at what further equipment and what capabilities we can provide, but I’m not going to get into what that might be.”
Cautioning against any suggestion that the UK might provide battle tanks to the Ukrainian army, as President Zelensky has requested, he added: “We would do nothing that would have an escalatory effect.”
