Scottish Government contributes £65m to war effort in Ukraine as part of UK's military aid

The Scottish Government has pledged £65m as part of the UK’s military aid for Ukraine.

The contribution will make up part of the £1bn in funding the UK government is providing to the Ukrainian military for state of the art equipment including air defence systems and vital kit for soldiers.

It follows the £4m in financial aid which has been sent to Ukraine by the Scottish Government for humanitarian assistance and a further £3m for medical supplies.

Speaking about the funding the finance secretary Kate Forbes said the Scottish Government condemns Russia’s unprovoked, illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Forbes added: “Scotland stands for democracy, human rights and the rule of law at home and abroad.

“We have become a place of refuge and sanctuary for displaced people from Ukraine, and have done all we can to get help to those fleeing the country to escape the violence.

“This further funding is to assist Ukrainian armed forces to fight Russian aggression and the unspeakable brutality being perpetrated.

“We have agreed to provide funding on this occasion given the clear need to maximise the international effort to support Ukraine.

“However, we are clear that this must not be seen as any kind of precedent which leads to devolved budgets being used to help pay for clearly reserved policy areas.”