In Odesa, new UK Defense Secretary pledges to step up support for Ukraine

John Healey said this at a joint briefing with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Odesa, Ukrinform reports.

“There may have been a change in government, but the UK is united for Ukraine. We reinvigorate Britain’s support by stepping up supplies of vital military aid,” he said.

Healey also promised to speed up the delivery to fight against the aggressor and underscored that Britain will stand with Ukraine "for as long as it takes”.

In his turn, Rustem Umerov said that the visit of the new UK Defense Secretary to Odesa – Healey's first foreign visit in this position – coincided with the Ukrainian Navy Day.

"Security in the Black Sea region is our priority, and our cleagues from the UK support us in this. The United Kingdom is one of our key partners, and we greatly appreciate its assistance in countering Russian aggression," Umerov said.

He also emphasized the importance of Healey’s visit to Ukraine ahead of the NATO summit in Washington.

"We are grateful to our British partners for supporting our aspirations to become full members of the alliance. I would like to express special gratitude for this year's assistance package, which includes modern drones. We are also grateful for the exemplary training of our military personnel, in particular, pilots and engineers," Umerov said.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Labour Party won a landslide victory in the UK election on July 4. Outgoing British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitted the defeat of his Conservative Party. Labour Party’s leader Keir Starmer has become Britain's new prime minister.