Ukraine is counting on the rapid allocation of additional support to strengthen its position on the battlefield. This was discussed during a meeting between Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov and the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
During the meeting, Ukrainian and British-made drones were also demonstrated.
Mykhailo Fedorov thanked the United Kingdom for its ongoing support for Ukraine and noted coordination with the British side, particularly during the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (“Ramstein”) meetings.
In addition, during the meeting, the Minister of Defence presented Ukraine’s AIR–LAND–ECONOMY strategy and the progress of its implementation. A key topic was the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA) mechanism, which allows funds generated from frozen Russian assets to be directed toward supporting Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side proposed using funding under this mechanism to purchase drones. The United Kingdom had already announced its readiness to provide this support during a previous Ramstein meeting.
Ukraine currently has a window of opportunity to increase pressure on Russia on the battlefield. To do this, it is critically important to quickly secure financing for solutions that have already proven effective in modern warfare.
Mykhailo Fedorov called on the British side to help rapidly channel resources toward Ukraine’s defence priorities. He also spoke about reforms in defence procurement.
Ukraine has changed procurement rules and is moving toward open competitive procedures. Early results have already allowed savings in budget funds and the redirection of more resources to the needs of the Defence Forces. The sides also discussed the need for further economic pressure on Russia.
A separate focus was placed on countering Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which remains one of the tools used to bypass sanctions and finance the war against Ukraine. Fedorov thanked the United Kingdom for its sanctions policy against Russia and decisive actions against Russian tankers. He also emphasized that the two main challenges for Ukraine on the battlefield remain Russian guided aerial bombs and ballistic missiles.
