United Kingdom says it is supplying anti-tank weapons to Ukraine

On Monday, Britain said it had started supplying anti-tank weapons to Ukraine to assist the country in its defense against a potential invasion.

Tensions between Ukraine and Russia at the border of the two countries have been mounting over the past several months, especially as Russia massed troops at the border. 

Western countries have voiced concerns that Russia is looking to once again attack Ukraine, which it invaded in 2014 when it annexed the Crimean Peninsula.

“We have taken the decision to supply Ukraine with light anti-armour defensive weapon systems,” said British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to parliament, adding that the first systems had already been delivered on Monday and a limited number of British personnel would provide training over a brief period. 

Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the announcement made by Wallace in a tweet, “Ukraine highly appreciates Britain’s decision to provide a new security package with light, anti-armour, defensive weapon systems!”

Russia has consistently denied any plans of a future attack, but Moscow has said it could potentially take unspecified military action unless the West agrees to a list of demands. One of those demands is to ban Ukraine from ever becoming a NATO member. Though discussions took place last week, no breakthrough was achieved. 

Wallace continued in his announcement, not specifying the number or type of weapons that were being sent, but he noted, “They are not strategic weapons and pose no threat to Russia. They are to use in self-defence.”

He added, “These are short-range…but nevertheless it would make people pause and think [about] what they were doing and if tanks were to roll into Ukraine, invade it, then they would be part of the defence mechanism.”