Britain’s £1bn arms push in Ukraine as West erects anti-Russian Iron Curtain

BRITAIN handed Ukraine a £1billion arms boost yesterday – as the West erected its own Iron Curtain against Russia.

Sweden and Finland were cleared to join NATO, the UK put thousands more troops on standby in Estonia, and US President Joe Biden approved more planes at British bases.

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British spy planes will patrol the Black Sea while Whitehall, Scottish and Welsh detachments underspend to bring new equipment to Ukraine.

More Typhoon jets will fly to Cyprus and NATO will be offered an aircraft carrier strike group.

Boris Johnson brushed aside fears Britain will miss NATO spending targets by 2025, saying the money should be a wake-up call for the “increasingly barbaric” Kremlin.

He called Vladimir Putin “evil” and an “outcast”.

The extra support for Ukraine also allows the UK to claim it spends 2.3 percent of production – although NATO says it’s only 2.12.

But Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace admitted the difference wasn’t “core defense spending” as he pressed again for more Treasury funding through 2024.

He said Russia lost 25,000 troops in 120 days, adding: “They’re moving at World War I levels, a few meters a day.

“It’s a pretty big disaster and they haven’t even started the cast yet.”

Ukrainian MP Alex Goncharenko asked for 10 times the weapons already sent, adding: “We haven’t stopped Putin yet.”