UK Defense Secretary to Call for ‘50-Day Drive’ to Arm Ukraine

John Healey will also update allies on several other issues, including drone supplies, with London having delivered nearly 50,000 drones to Kyiv since March.

British Defence Secretary John Healey delivers a speech in London on Feb. 18, 2025. Leon Neal/Getty Images

British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey will on Monday call on allies to back a 50-day push to arm Ukraine in hopes of pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

Healey will use his role as chairman of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) to support U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to send arms—including Patriot air defense systems—to Ukraine, with European allies covering the cost. Healey will also pledge that the UK will “play our full part in its success to bolster Ukraine’s immediate fight,” according to a prepared statement released ahead of the meeting.