UK to urge allies to boost defence production for Ukraine

LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary David Cameron will urge allies to increase defence production to help Ukraine's war with Russia, his office said on Tuesday ahead of a diplomatic tour to Bulgaria, Poland and Germany.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Ahead of the two-year anniversary of Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Kyiv faces ammunition shortages and uncertainty over the future of U.S. military aid even as Russian forces begin to gain the upper hand on the battlefield.

KEY QUOTES

"We have the resources, the economic might and the expertise. We need to show that we have the will to see this through," Cameron is expected to say during his travel, according to a statement from the Foreign Office.

"We must stand up for freedom and match our words with action. On sanctions. On support for Ukraine. On defence production."

CONTEXT

Cameron will speak at the Munich Security Conference, attended by the world's defence and security elite. The conference takes place on Feb. 16-18.

On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany and Europe's defence industry must switch towards mass production of arms as the war in Ukraine exposed how European manufacturers struggled to meet demand for ammunition.

U.S. President Joe Biden has urged U.S. lawmakers to pass a multi-billion pound military aid package.

(Reporting by William James, Editing by William Maclean)