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UK and Norway Pledge Almost $600 Million in Military Aid to Ukraine, With Focus on FPV Drones

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Amira Barkhush
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UK and Norway Pledge Almost $600 Million in Military Aid to Ukraine, With Focus on FPV Drones
FPV drones lined up against the wall during the transfer procedure to the Armed Forces of Ukraine on May 2, 2024 in Lviv, Ukraine. (Source: Getty Images)

The United Kingdom and Norway announced a joint military aid package for Ukraine worth £450 million (around $589 million) during the Ramstein meeting, according to Bloomberg, citing the UK Ministry of Defense.

The aid package aims to rapidly deliver FPV drones to strike Russian positions. It will be financed using existing funds and will also be used to purchase radar systems and anti-tank mines and support the repair and maintenance of vehicles and equipment.

The drones, to be procured from both British and Ukrainian suppliers, are considered highly effective—according to the UK Ministry of Defense, they account for 60 to 70 percent of the damage inflicted on Russian equipment in Ukraine.

The work of the nations meeting on Friday, collectively called the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, “is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position and pile pressure on Putin to help force him to end this terrible war,” UK Defense Secretary John Healey will tell other members of the group, according to the statement.

“We cannot jeopardize peace by forgetting the war, which is why today’s major package will surge support to Ukraine’s front-line fight.”

Today, the Defense Secretary and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius chaired the 27th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, bringing together around 50 nations to drive forward additional military support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian attacks.

On April 10, European defense ministers from approximately 30 countries gathered in Brussels for a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” to discuss continued support for Ukraine.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, said, “It has been now four weeks when they [Ukraine] were very clear that they agreed to the unconditional ceasefire, and Russia still hasn’t agreed to the ceasefire. So it’s clear that Ukraine wants peace, but Russia so far doesn’t.”

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