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UK already delivered $200 mln worth of air defense systems to Ukraine — ministry

According to the statement, the funds will also be used for purchasing new drones, as well as for maintenance and servicing of the already delivered weaponry

LONDON, July 21. /TASS/. The United Kingdom has already handed over to Ukraine $200 mln worth of air defense weapons and artillery shells out of the $940 million it earmarked for that purpose this year, the UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

According to the statement, the funds will also be used for purchasing new drones, as well as for maintenance and servicing of the already delivered weaponry.

The document also quotes UK Defense Secretary John Healy as saying that London joins US President Donald Trump’s initiative to procure weapons for Ukraine.

"The UK government backs this policy, and we will play our full part in its success to bolster Ukraine’s immediate fight and to support our own and wider European security," he was quoted as saying.

The Defense Ministry also reported that the UK had completed delivery of nearly 50,000 military drones to Ukraine in under six months, in addition to 20,000 drones provided in the same period via the UK-Latvia co-led drone coalition. It also confirmed that the UK and Germany will announce a new agreement to partner in providing critical air defense ammunition to Ukraine. Germany will provide more than 170 million euro worth of funding, the statement says.

On July 14, Trump said that Washington will continue transferring weapons and military equipment to Kiev if Europe pays for the supplies. NATO will coordinate the process. According to the head of the White House, the deliveries will include 17 Patriot systems.

Earlier, La Stampa newspaper reported that Italy does not intend to purchase new weapons from the United States for transfer to Ukraine due to limited financial resources. Prior to this, Politico said France does not intend to participate in the initiative to transfer US-made weapons to Ukraine. The Czech Republic and Hungary will also not join the purchases.