The British Prime Minister is expected to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, after announcing additional funding for the country's fight against Russia. The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, after announcing that it will boost his country's aid to Ukraine to £2.5 billion (€2.9 billion) over the coming fiscal year. The extra funding, which represents an increase of £200 million (€232.7 million) compared to the previous two years, is set to help Ukraine purchase new military drones, which Zelenskyy said earlier this week the country badly needs, among other air defenses, to continue its fight against the Russian invasion. Talking during a visit to the Baltic countries on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said that his country has proven to the world that Russia's military can be stopped, but Kyiv needs more air defenses from its allies to continue pushing back Moscow troops. "We have proven that Russia can be stopped, that deterrence is possible," Zelenskyy said after talks with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. "We lack modern air defense systems badly." Most of the drones that Ukraine is expected to purchase with the new British aid will likely be manufactured in the UK. Sunak's visit follows the US' and UK's massive strikes on Yemen's Houthis overnight, which many fear might lead to an escalation of the war in the Middle East. British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said the strikes were an action of self-defense after Houthi militants continued attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea despite the US and UK warnings. — Euronews
