UK Commits to EU's Ukraine Support Loan
Britain will join the EU's 90 billion euro (£78 billion) loan for Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The Prime Minister said British firms would be able to bid for contracts funded by the EU's Ukraine Support Loan as he held talks with the 'coalition of the willing' in Paris on Monday.
He said: 'I have always been clear that the UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. This agreement will help ensure Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression, while backing British defence companies, supporting skilled jobs and strengthening our national security.'
Background and Conditions of the Loan
The UK opened talks to participate in the loan at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, in May shortly after the electoral defeat of Hungarian leader Viktor Orban cleared the way for the EU to approve the scheme. The loan is intended to help cover Kyiv's most urgent defence and budgetary needs in 2026 and 2027, with two-thirds of the total allocated to military spending.
The EU has said the loan will be repaid 'by reparations due by Russia to Ukraine'. Britain will be expected to contribute to the loan, but Downing Street did not say how much this contribution was expected to amount to, only that it would be 'proportionate to the value of contracts secured by British industry'. In May, Sir Keir said the benefit of joining the scheme in jobs, investment and supporting Ukraine 'outweighs the cost'.
Additional Measures and International Context
The announcement came as Sir Keir began his final week as Prime Minister with a trip to Paris for a meeting of Ukraine's allies. At the same time, the UK joined the EU in imposing sanctions on Russia-linked 'cybercriminals' and attributed a 2025 attack on Poland's energy infrastructure to hackers from Russia's cyber-intelligence unit FSB Centre 16.
Sir Keir said: 'Working alongside our European allies, we are stepping up support for Ukraine and stepping up pressure on Russia. Together, we are sending a clear message: we will stand united against Russian aggression and continue to defence the security of Europe.'
