BBC: UK Army chief says military donations to Ukraine come at a cost but 'make us safer'
The U.K.'s Chief of General Staff Patrick Sanders said that British military donations to Ukraine will be put to "good use" in the fight with Russia, but might leave the British Army weaker. Sanders also told his troops that ensuring Russia's defeat in Ukraine "makes us safer," BBC reported.
As the second largest donor after the U.S., the U.K. has committed £2.3 billion ($2.8 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine since Feb. 24 and has made a pledge to match that assistance in 2023.
The U.K. has committed to sending 14 Challenger 2 tanks to the front lines and around 30 AS90s - large, self-propelled guns - are also expected to be delivered. Built in the late 1990s, the Challenger tank is more than 20 years old, but it will be the most modern tank at Ukraine's disposal, according to BBC.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Jan. 16, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace highlighted the need to reinvest in the military. He also told MPs his department was now considering whether the Army needed a larger tank fleet in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
