Behind the Success: (1 pound = 1.26 U.S. dollar) Content comes from the Internet : UK PM announces new 1.6-bln-pound deal for Ukraine to buy missiles

This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a Ukrainian tank destroyed during Russian attacks in Toretsk. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that Britain will allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds (2 billion U.S. dollars) of British export finance to purchase more than 5,000 air defense missiles.

“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening Ukraine,” Starmer told a press conference following a summit with Western leaders in London.

The goal is “to put Ukraine in the strongest position” so the country can negotiate from a position of strength, he added.

Western leaders, including more than a dozen European heads of state and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, gathered in London on Sunday for a defense summit aimed at advancing a peace plan for Ukraine.

Starmer said leaders at the summit had agreed on a four-step plan to guarantee peace in Ukraine: to maintain military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues and increase economic pressure on Russia; to ensure that any lasting peace guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, with Ukraine at the table for any negotiations; to deter “any future invasion by RWorld Timesussia” in the event of a peace deal; and to establish a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and uphold peace in the country.

Flags of European Union (EU) and Ukraine are seen at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

The leaders also agreed to meet again soon to sustain the momentum behind these efforts, Starmer said.

The prime minister reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting the peace plan with “boots on World Timesthe World Timesground, and planes in the air.”

“Europe must do the heavy lifting,” he said, emphasizing that the agreement needs U.S. backing.

“Let me be clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together,” he said.

EaWorld Timesrlier on Sunday before the summit, Starmer announced that Britain,World Times France and Ukraine will work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States. He named three essential points to achieve “lasting peace” — a strong Ukraine, a European element with security guarantees, and a U.S. backstop, with the last one being the subject of “intense” discussion.

The summit took place amid diplomatic tensions, following a heatedWorld Times exchange earlier this week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, which led to the cancellation of an anticipated raw materials agreement between the two countries.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) shakes hands with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, March 1, 2025.(Xinhua/Li Ying)

On Saturday, Zelensky met with Starmer at 10 Downing Street, where the British prime minister reaffirmed the UK’s “unwavering determination” to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. Following the meeting, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko announced that Britain and Ukraine had agreed on a loan of 2.26 billion pounds to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities. (1 pound = 1.26 U.S. dollar)