Prime Minister commits €300 million to fund fighter jets for Ukraine - backing British jobs and bolstering Ukraine's defence

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer commits €300 million to help deliver Swedish-made Saab Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, aiming to strengthen Kyiv’s air defense. Starmer announced the funding during a visit to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine, framing it as support for the Ukrainian Air Force against Russian attacks while sustaining UK industrial work. The package backs a squadron of 16 Gripen E aircraft by 2029 and includes pilot and engineer training, simulators, spare parts, and other equipment to enable frontline deployment. The government said 5,000 highly skilled jobs would be supported across more than 50 UK-based companies supplying the Gripen programme, from Saab UK in Fareham to Leonardo UK in Edinburgh.