Britain to send more than 6,000 missiles to Ukraine - Boris Johnson says
The Prime Minister is heading to Brussels, where he'll meet Nato and G7 leaders
Last updated 29th May 2022
Boris Johnson will urge western allies to help "keep the flame of freedom alive" in Ukraine, as he heads to Brussels for an emergency summit.
The Prime Minister has pledged to send thousands more missiles to the country, as well as financial backing for the Ukrainian army.
US President Joe Biden will also be in attendance, after his administration announced it had formally assessed that Russian forces had committed war crimes.
President Zelenskyy calls for worldwide demonstrations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for worldwide demonstrations on Thursday, to mark exactly a month since Russia launched its invasion.
He's planning to address Nato remotely, where it's expected leaders will sign off on the formation of four new battlegroups in eastern Europe.
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the battlegroups - each numbering between 1,000 and 1,500 troops - would be deployed in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
The alliance already has 40,000 troops in Europe under its direct command, nearly 10 times the number it had a few months ago.
Prime Minister speaks to Zelenskyy on phone
In a call with Mr Zelensky on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said the bombardment of civilian areas in the city was "unconscionable" and demanded a response from the international community.
The Prime Minister said it was time for western powers to step up the supply of military hardware to Kyiv as well as increasing sanctions against Moscow.
"We cannot and will not stand by while Russia grinds Ukraine's towns and cities into dust," he said in a statement ahead of the summit.
"The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight.
"One month into this crisis, the international community faces a choice. We can keep the flame of freedom alive in Ukraine, or risk it being snuffed out across Europe and the world."
Britain has already sent more than 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, including next-generation light anti-tank weapons systems (Nlaws) and Javelin missiles.
It is also supplying and training Ukrainian troops in the use of Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles as well as providing body armour, helmets and combat boots.