LONDON (Reuters) -British foreign minister Yvette Cooper is due to travel to Kyiv on Friday in her first overseas visit since being appointed in the role, reaffirming Britain’s commitment to Ukraine with a 142 million pounds ($192.75 million) winter support aid boost.
Cooper is due to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and senior Ukrainian officials, to whom she will reaffirm Britain’s commitment to Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression, the government said.
“Ukraine’s security is crucial to the UK’s security,” Cooper said in a statement.
The extra funding package, part of a previously pledged aid programme launched in June, includes 100 million pounds in humanitarian assistance for frontline communities and 42 million pounds to repair and protect critical energy systems targeted by Russian strikes.
Her visit comes amid heightened tensions following an incursion of Russian drones into NATO airspace in Poland.
Britain announced plans on Wednesday to mass produce Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones to help counter Russian missile and drone attacks as part of a wider UK-Ukraine defence co-production effort.
($1 = 0.7367 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti in London; Editing by Nia Williams)
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