Britain to Join EU's €90 Billion Loan for Ukraine, Announce New Sanctions Against Russia
Britain will join the EU's £78 billion ($106 billion) loan for Ukraine, deepening defense ties. PM Keir Starmer will announce cooperation with the EU on military equipment and new sanctions against Russia. This follows US calls for Europe to assume greater defense responsibility.
Britain intends to begin talks on joining the European Union's loan to Ukraine totaling £78 billion ($106 billion). This signals a deepening of European defense ties amid pressure from the United States.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan that Britain wants to cooperate with the EU to help Ukraine obtain vital military equipment. Additional funding could also open opportunities for British businesses in Ukraine's defense sector. This week, the UK will also announce another package of «tough sanctions» against Russian companies to disrupt military supply chains.
Starmer's visit to Armenia, the first by a British leader since 1990, comes as the Donald Trump administration urges Europe to take greater responsibility for the continent's defense. Starmer emphasized that cooperation between Britain and the EU in defense is mutually beneficial and necessary for security. He previously called for stronger defense integration to reduce NATO's over-reliance on the US.
The European Union is considering strengthening the conditions for disbursing a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, with part of the payments depending on the introduction of unpopular changes in business taxation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the first defense package of €6 billion from this loan, focusing on Ukrainian drones, will be disbursed in the current quarter.