By Kontur and AFP | 2024-07-09

KYIV -- Several of Kyiv's allies confirmed their support for Ukraine ahead of this week's NATO summit in Washington, DC, scheduled for July 9-11.

Two and a half years into Russia's full-scale war, Ukraine remains adamant that getting under the protective umbrella of the US-led alliance is its only long-term guarantee for security.

New British Defence Secretary John Healey on July 7 pledged to deliver more artillery guns, ammunition and missiles to Ukraine, during a visit to the southern city of Odesa.

Healey, appointed defence secretary July 5 by new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was visiting the port city, a frequent target of Russian missile and drone strikes, on his first international trip.

"There may have been a change in government, but the UK is united for Ukraine," Healey said, according to a statement.

Healey pledged a new package of assistance including artillery guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, de-mining vehicles, small military boats, missiles and other equipment, the ministry said.

In Odesa, he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.

London has been one of Kyiv's staunchest backers since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Healey said a major UK aid package announced in April would be delivered "in full to Ukraine within the next 100 days."

F-16s 'without delay'

The Netherlands will begin sending F-16 fighter planes to Ukraine "without delay," Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said during a visit to Kyiv July 6.

Details of the trip were kept secret until July 7 for security reasons.

Ukraine hopes the advanced US-made jets will help it gain air superiority over Russia and better protect its troops and cities from daily bombardments by Moscow's troops.

In his first international trip since becoming foreign minister last week, Veldkamp said the Netherlands was poised to send the jets after Washington granted the necessary export licenses last week.

"Now that we've got clearance on the first F-16s, they will be delivered without delay," Veldkamp said at a news conference in the Ukrainian capital.

He did not provide further details or state a specific date when the first of 24 promised F-16s would arrive in Ukraine.

Ukrainian pilots and crews have been undertaking months of training on the advanced jets in NATO countries to prepare for their arrival.

Several NATO countries have pledged to send the US-made jets -- touted for their precision, speed and range.

Zelenskyy said in an interview with AFP in May that Kyiv needed about 130 to secure air parity with Russia.

Land mine removal

Japan will work with Cambodia to remove land mines from Ukraine and other war-torn countries, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said during a visit to Phnom Penh on July 6.

Cambodia is widely regarded as a world leader in clearing mines and has been working with Japan to remove the weapons since 1998.

"Cambodia is an essential partner in Japan's global land mine removal efforts," Kamikawa said at a news conference.

"I am confident Cambodia will contribute greatly to raising awareness of the inhumanity of anti-personnel land mines as a country that suffered from them."

The minister said Japan would provide Ukraine with a large mine-clearing machine next week, and in August would train Ukrainian agencies in Cambodia on how to use the equipment.

Heng Ratana, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, told reporters his organisation and local deminers were "proud of this important initiative and strongly support the new strategy of the cooperation."

"We are glad to take part in sharing experiences with countries that have problems with land mines and remnants of war," he added.

Deaths caused by land mines occur frequently among civilians and soldiers in Ukraine, which has been littered with mines and explosive remnants over the past two and a half years.

Land mines have been documented in 11 of Ukraine's 27 provinces, according to Human Rights Watch.

Russian forces are known to have used at least 13 types of anti-personnel mines since February 2022, the organization said.