Media: UK to send $65 million defense package to Ukraine

The U.K. will provide a $65 million military aid package to Ukraine for purposes of equipment repair and the establishment of a military rehabilitation center, Reuters reported July 11.

The support package represents the U.K.'s latest contribution to NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, a joint declaration that sets forth how the Alliance will aid Ukrainian defense.

The U.K. and other allies will discuss the support package this week at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The U.K. will join other member nations in providing Ukrainian defense forces with more rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition and additional supplies of combat and logistics vehicles.

Military aid for Ukraine is a central topic of this week's NATO summit. On July 11, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced a deal with Sebastien Lecornu, defense minister of France, securing $187 million in French military aid for Ukraine.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at the summit that "the overwhelming support of NATO members will send a strong signal to President Putin and return peace to Europe."

Vilnius summit brings Ukraine closer to NATO, but direct invitation withheld
NATO allies adopted a three-part support package for Ukraine, which includes removing the requirement to undergo the Membership Action Plan, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during the Vilnius summit on July 11. Ukraine will receive an invitation to join NATO when “the allies agree, and…