Australia has ramped up military aid for Ukraine, with A$100 million ($65 million) in new funding to go toward short-range air defense systems, drone development and other equipment needed in the nation’s war against Russia.
“While Ukraine is here fighting for its sovereignty and for its nation, it is also fighting for the maintenance of the global rules-based order and in that sense, it’s fighting for us,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Saturday in Lviv, Ukraine. “Ukraine need to be empowered to resolve this on their terms.”
The latest funding brings the total amount Australia has contributed to Ukraine’s war efforts since the conflict began in February 2022 to A$1 billion. On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed a $6 billion commitment for long-term contracts to provide Kyiv with weapons such as Patriot missiles, artillery ammunition and drones.
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This story was originally published April 27, 2024, 8:24 PM.