Zelensky hails £10billion Ukraine support from Andy Burnham

President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed an additional £10billion support package from the UK to Ukraine after discussions with Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Zelensky said he and Burnham had spoken about the extra support for Ukraine’s war efforts on Wednesday.

Hailing the £10billion pledged on Wednesday, Zelensky said on X: “A truly strong and very timely step - coming right as Russia needs to see and feel that Ukraine will not be left alone to deal with the problems Russia is so eager to escalate.”

Zelensky continued: “I am grateful to Britain, to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his team, and to every person around the world who understands that standing with Ukraine is the right thing to do - that it means being on the right side of history.”

The £10billion was announced on Wednesday by Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey, who offered the economic and military support in the Budget.

Healey explained the £10billion would be “based on loans, export finance guarantees and £500million in urgent military funding for this winter”.

The Finance Minister said he and Burnham had spoken to Zelensky before the announcement, with Ukraine’s leader telling them “you’ve made my day”.

A Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement that the £10billon would be comprised of £7billion of economic support over three years and £3billion in export finance capacity for Ukraine.

The spokesperson added that the £500million of military funding would be used to “plug urgent gaps in Ukraine’s air defences”.

This is the biggest financial package ever committed to Ukraine by the UK, and “is a statement of this government’s commitment to ensuring Ukraine has the means to continue its courageous fight against Russia’s illegal invasion”, Burnham said.

Ukraine’s financial outlook for 2027 appears dire, with an expected £58billion shortfall, even when accounting for £37billion of already planned financial support.

Until the UK’s announcement on Wednesday, Norway had been the only non-EU country to join efforts to ramp up Kyiv’s budget, pledging £7billion for 2027.

Hopes remain high that Canada will make a significant contribution to the country’s finances, with an ongoing EU-Canada summit taking place in Montreal.

The EU is also considering options on how to support the war effort in 2027, with an additional loan and different ways of using Russia’s immobilised assets in the bloc, all being pitched as potential solutions.