UK backs Trump’s new Ukraine arms plan, calls for 50-day push to force Putin to negotiate

ISTANBUL

British Defense Secretary John Healey on Monday said the UK will fully support a new NATO arms transfer initiative announced by US President Donald Trump, aimed at accelerating military assistance to Ukraine.

Speaking during the opening of a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), co-chaired with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Healey said 52 allies and partners joined the call, a signal, he noted, of the continued inspiration Ukraine provides in its struggle against “Russian aggression.”

“This is a moment of maximum opportunity,” said Healey, underlining the urgency of the situation as Ukraine battles intensified Russian missile and drone attacks.

He warned that Trump’s new policy on large-scale NATO weapons transfers has set “a 50-day clock” for Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept peace terms or face “crippling economic sanctions.”

“The UK backs this policy. We will play our full part in its success,” he said.

“As members of this UDCG, we need to step up in turn—a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and to help push Putin to the negotiating table.”

Healey said the UK’s involvement would build on the €40 billion pledged for Ukraine at last month’s NATO summit.

Citing battlefield updates to be presented by senior Ukrainian military officials, he said the situation “underlines why a renewed drive to arm Ukraine is so important.”

Healey revealed that since the contact group last convened, Russian military losses have surpassed one million soldiers killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion began, with 240,000 casualties in 2025 this year alone.

He stressed that despite such losses, “Putin’s ruthless ambition does not appear to be waning.”

Healey said Britain has committed over £4.5 billion ($5.8 billion) in military aid to Ukraine this year, marking its highest level ever.

“This includes £700 million on artillery shells, long-range rockets, and defense missiles—with £150 million of that delivered in the last two months,” he said.

He added that nearly 50,000 drones have been sent to Ukraine since March as part of London’s pledge to increase drone supplies tenfold in 2024.

On air defense, Healey announced that the UK and Germany have agreed jointly to provide critical air defense missiles to Ukraine.

“On the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package, the UK will donate a further £40 million,” he said.

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