Yvette Cooper has announced a funding boost for Ukraine alongside a raft of new sanctions on Russia, as she visits Kyiv in her first overseas trip as foreign secretary.
A further £142 million in UK aid will support Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and vulnerable communities, while 100 new sanctions will aim to further hit Russia’s economy and military supplies.
Cooper was met by Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha at a railway station in Kyiv on Friday morning, and later met President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Her visit, which the Foreign Office says reaffirms the UK’s support for Ukraine, comes days after Russian drones violating Polish airspace were shot down by Poland and Nato.
The Foreign Office said there had been “a summer of Russian delay tactics at peace talks” aimed at ending the conflict in the region, as well as increased attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
Cooper added support for Kyiv was “unwavering and stronger than ever” and that fresh funding would support Ukraine through the winter and into 2026.
She continued: “Putin’s bombardment of Ukrainian civilians, his stalling and delaying in internationally-backed peace talks, and his blatant disregard for human life must end.”
Of the funding boost, £100 million will be used to help civilians in frontline communities, including to repair critical water and heating systems, support livelihoods and strengthen resilience over the winter.
The remaining £42 million will go towards carrying out vital repairs to Ukraine’s electricity network and putting in place critical protection for gas and power infrastructure.
Cooper will visit Kyiv’s cabinet of ministers government building, which was hit for the first time on Sunday when Russia carried out its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the war began. She will also visit a residential building destroyed by a Russian strike.
Separately, Prince Harry made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday after an invitation by an organisation that supports Ukrainians with life-changing injuries caused by the war.
The Duke of Sussex, who arrived by train on Friday morning, said he wanted to do “everything possible” to help the recovery of injured military personnel.
As well as hitting economic and military targets, the Foreign Office said fresh sanctions on Russia will also hit 70 more ships involved in Putin’s “shadow fleet” operation, responsible for illicitly carrying cargo including oil exports since the war began.
Among the companies sanctioned are firms which supply Russia with equipment such as electronics, chemicals and explosives used to manufacture missiles and other weapons.
Cooper said the measures “form the next stage in the UK’s leading efforts to ramp up economic pressure, alongside our security support and our work alongside the coalition of the willing for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. There have been international talks in recent months aimed at ending the conflict, though these have not resulted in any meaningful progress.