Government pressed to reveal 2024 military aid plans for Ukraine

MPs have urged the Government to guarantee military funding for Ukraine next year - and to reveal how much it will be handing over to help Kyiv repel the Russian invasion.

The Government has given £4.6bn of aid to Ukraine since the war started, but ministers have faced questions about why no extra money was announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement to help Ukraine in 2024.

Labour and senior Conservatives pressed the Government about its future support, with Defence Minister James Heappey giving an assurance that an announcement would be made in the Commons once the plans had been confirmed.

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Shadow defence secretary John Healey responded in the Commons: "The Defence Secretary [Grant Shapps] said last month 'Let's not forget about Ukraine'. So why did the Autumn Statement do just that?

"No 2024 military funding for Ukraine, no 2024 action plan for Ukraine. At the very time when Ukraine needs confidence that it has strong, continuing support from allies, the Prime Minister is stepping back.

"UK leadership on Ukraine is flagging. This year's £2.3bn of UK military funding runs out in March, while this month Germany announced military aid for next year of eight billion euros."

Defence Minister Mr Heappey responded: "As for the plan for next year, I completely accept that he is right in saying there could have been a number in the Autumn Statement.

"But what is more important surely is a number that reflects the discussions that the chairmen of the joint chiefs, the Chief of the Defence Staff [Admiral Sir Tony Radakin] and General Zaluzhny [ the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Ukraine] have had, the conversations that senior politicians UK, US and Ukrainian have had, in order to understand what the Ukrainian ambition is for their operations next year so that we can resource that properly.

"All the way through, the thing that the UK has done better than anybody else in the world is understood what the Ukrainians want to do next and got their first in terms of delivering that capability, and in so doing emboldening others to follow.

"As soon as that plan for next year is confirmed, I am certain that the amount of money that it will cost will be announced to Parliament and the plan firmed up."