UK speeds up delivery of over 5,000 multirole missiles to Ukraine – Starmer

He said this during a joint press briefing in London with the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukrinform reports.

"We're accelerating our UK program to provide Ukraine with more than 5,000 lightweight multirole missiles. This program has created hundreds of brilliant jobs in Belfast, and they're working now to deliver an additional 140 missiles ahead of schedule to bolster Ukraine's defenses through the depths of winter," Starmer said.

He also voiced support for U.S. sanctions against Russia's largest energy companies.

"President Trump is right to have imposed sanctions on Russia's oil majors, as the UK has also done, alongside the latest package from the EU. And we must now maintain this pressure," he said.

Starmer condemned recent Russian attacks on civilians, noting that "Putin is the only person who does not want to stop this war."

"His strikes on civilians this week made that crystal-clear once again, targeting energy infrastructure ahead of winter, hitting young children in their nursery, claiming the lives in Kyiv of a 12-year girl and a six-month-old baby. This is who Putin is. Time after time, he rejects the chance to end the war. In just the last few days, he's rejected the opportunity for talks once again, instead making ludicrous demands for Ukrainian land, which he could not and has not taken by force. Of course, that is a complete non-starter, and it shows yet again that he's not serious about peace," he said.

"So, we've been clear today that we must respond, working with the U.S. This coalition is determined to go further than ever to ratchet up the pressure on Putin from the battlefield to his war economy because that is the only way to change his mind and push him back to the table," Starmer added.

He further stressed that the UK is "determined to push on with the progress on Russia's sovereign assets and unlock billions to help finance Ukraine's defense."

"The bill for Russia's destruction in Ukraine should be paid by Russia. So, we want to move ahead at speed with the work needed to deliver reparation loans and get the funds flowing to Ukraine," Starmer said.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine