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Extra £1bn Ukraine military aid only ‘increases profits of masters of war’, campaigners warn

BRITAIN’S pledge to commit a further £1 billion to support Ukraine in its war with Russia only “increases the profits of the masters of war,” according to Stop the War.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed today that Britain has agreed to give a further £1bn in military assistance to support the Ukrainian forces against the Russian invasion.

The promised funding for Ukraine is to increase its capabilities with sophisticated air defence systems, drones and electronic warfare equipment.

Ms Truss said: “We have to make it our absolute priority to stop this war and to push Vladimir Putin and the Russian troops out of Ukraine.”

This comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at the Nato summit in Madrid that the government will spend 2.5 per cent of its GDP on defence by 2030.

Mr Johnson said the spending targets set by Nato members a decade ago, with every country pledging a spend of 2 per cent of GDP on defence, “were then set for a very different era.”

But Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German said: “None of this will make Ukraine safer, but it will increasingly strengthen the Nato camp against both Russia and China.

“It does not serve the interests of working people around the world, but increases the profits of the masters of war.”

Shadow defence secretary John Healey has said plans to cut the size of the British army to 73,000 troops should be abandoned because of the invasion.

“With threats increasing, the government risks leaving our armed forces without the equipment and troops they need to fight and fulfil our Nato obligations,” he said.

“By fanning the flames of secessionism and sectarianism, Russia seeks to reverse the gains of the last three decades in Bosnia and Herzegovina, gains that have brought more stability to our whole continent.”

This comes after Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, standing in for Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs on Wednesday, confirmed Labour’s pro-military stance when she taunted the Tories that under current military spending plans the country would have “less troops, less planes, less ships.”

Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the defence select committee, pressed ministers to hold a Commons vote to decide whether to halt the proposals in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying: “It’s clearly not the time to be cutting our army by 10,000 troops.”

Current government plans would cut the army’s size from 82,000 troops to 72,500.

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