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The UK will “continue to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence”, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, as he praised the country’s people on their “fortitude” in the face of Russian aggression.
In a call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, Mr Johnson said the UK would “continue to stand behind Ukraine in all their efforts to bring an end to this disastrous conflict”.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care said 21 Ukrainian children would receive life-saving cancer treatment in England after being taken there by the UK government with the support of Polish authorities.
Mr Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions were “testing not just Ukraine but all of humanity”, No 10 Downing Street said.
The UK government will donate more than 500 mobile generators to Ukraine to help power its electricity network.
"We will now be sending generators to ease the difficulties caused by the current power outages and help keep vital services running so the people of Ukraine can continue to defend their country," Mr Johnson said.
The government also “condemned the murders of [American film director] Brent Renaud and countless innocent Ukrainians, and the abduction of the mayors of Dniprorudne and Melitopol”.
Mr Renaud was killed after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Mr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of kidnapping the mayor of Melitopol, a port city in the south of Ukraine.
And Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Sunday that “Russian war criminals abducted another democratically elected Ukrainian mayor, the head of Dniprorudne, Yevhen Matveyev”.
Meanwhile, 35 people were killed in an attack on a military training base in western Ukraine.
Mr Johnson reportedly told Mr Zelenskyy during their call that the UK would “continue to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence”.
“The Prime Minister outlined the support the UK continues to deliver to Ukraine,” a Downing Street spokesman said.
He said the situation would be discussed "at Tuesday’s meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force in London".
Mr Zelenskyy tweeted on Sunday that he had held talks with Mr Johnson and Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala, where they discussed the Ukrainian people’s struggle against Russian aggression and "Russia’s criminal attacks on civilians".
“I thanked the partners for their important support. We appreciate it. #StopRussia," he said.
Later, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she had spoken to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Mr Kuleba.
“Good to speak to Dmytro Kuleba," Ms Truss tweeted. "The bravery of the Ukrainian leadership and people is immense.
“[The UK] is doing all we can to support, including defensive weapons and humanitarian aid.”
Mr Kuleba said the pair had spoken about “next steps to apply more sanctions on Russia”.
“Pressure must increase until Russia ceases its meaningless aggression and stops barbaric war crimes. Grateful to the UK for stepping up support for Ukraine,” he said.
Mr Johnson is preparing for meetings with Nordic and Baltic leaders this week as he seeks to strengthen European resilience in the face of Russia’s invasion.
He will host a summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force, at which he will urge leaders to work together to ensure no more nations fall victim to Russian aggression, Downing Street said.
Earlier on Sunday, it was disclosed that more than 3,000 visas had been issued to Ukrainians seeking refuge in the UK, with “tens of thousands” set to benefit from a new humanitarian scheme.
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said local authority areas would be entitled to more than £10,000 for each Ukrainian refugee using the new route to the UK.
“Additional payments” would be available to support school-aged children who need to be accommodated in the education system, he said.
