UK sending Ukraine more Starstreak systems: Johnson
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The United Kingdom will be sending more military equipment to Ukraine to try and counter Russia and expand the Western influence in the country.
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The UK-made Starstreak air defense missile system
The United Kingdom is sending more Starstreak missiles to Ukraine following an "unconscionable attack" on a train station, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday. London could send as many as 800 anti-tank missiles to Kiev as part of its bid to counter Russia.
The supplies of the "high-grade military equipment" are worth £150 million ($195 million), Johnson said.
This adds to the package of billions of dollars of arms and military equipment sent to Kiev since the war began, not to mention the military training provided to Ukrainian soldiers.
The initial announcement from London about giving Ukraine these missiles came to compensate for the fact that London refused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's calls for the UK to supply him with tanks during last week's NATO summit.
The US government has provided Ukraine with $2.3 billion in security assistance since President Joe Biden took office last January, including thousands of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems.
In parallel, the European Union has agreed to send $500 million worth of arms and equipment to Kiev, and Ukraine nonetheless still urged the West to boost its military capabilities.
Johnson's words came during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who went on to defend his country against criticism from Ukraine and the West for still having energy ties with Russia as part of the sanctions imposed on Moscow over the war.
"We are doing all we can and we are doing a lot," the chancellor said, highlighting that Berlin has been working to diversify its energy sources and seeking other suppliers for natural gas.
After Scholz and Johnson held talks in Downing Street, the latter said his country would work with Berlin on renewable technologies.
"We cannot transform our energy systems overnight, but we also know that Putin's war will not end overnight," the British Premier said.
The United Kingdom had followed through with the Western sanctions, imposing a complete ban on Russian energy imports, following in the footsteps of the United States.
Following the start of the war, the US and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations.
The status-quo and the US sanctions on Russia have weakened US citizens' purchasing power, causing fuel prices to soar in the country with US oil prices reaching their all-time high following a ban on Russian fuel exports.
