U.K. to provide Ukraine with $2 billion for air defense

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on March 2 that the U.K. had reached an agreement with Kyiv to provide Ukraine with 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) for the purchase of 5,000 air defense missiles.

Although the terms of the agreement were not immediately available, Starmer said that the deal would be conducted through export financing, with the missiles being produced in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

"This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthening Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes," Starmer said.

The deal, which Starmer announced during a press conference following the conclusion of a European leaders' summit in London, follows a separate commitment announced on March 1 that would provide a $2.8 billion loan backed by frozen Russian assets.

Ukraine has long been calling for allies to provide additional funding for Ukraine's air defense needs as Russia continues to pummel Ukrainian cities with missile and drone attacks.

Starmer on March 2 hosted President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders in London to discuss how to strengthen support for Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace. The summit is even more crucial now after a fallout between the Ukrainian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House.

Earlier in the press conference, Starmer announced that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developing a 'coalition of the willing' that will include "planes in the air and boots on the ground" in an effort to negotiate a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.

Starmer said that he spoke to Trump on March 1 to deliver plans of the proposed coalition, and added that the proposed coalition will succeed on the basis that Europe work "with the U.S. and that it will have U.S. backing."

In January, Zelensky and Starmer signed a 100-year partnership agreement during their meeting in Kyiv on Jan. 16. The wide-ranging deal encompasses cooperation in military, energy, scientific, cultural, economic, and other sectors.