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The true cost of Ukraine: £106 billion and counting
For Britain, direct military aid is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the spiralling energy crisis that has fueled inflation, driven millions into fuel poverty and inflated corporate profits, reveals HELEN MERCER
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Thursday, March 13, 2025, firefighters work at a damaged building after a Russian strike in Akhtyrka, Ukraine

“Now thrive the armourers … They sell the pasture now to buy the horse.” (Henry V)

AS KEIR STARMER seeks to lead Europe in stretching out the Ukraine war to the crack of doom the issue of the cost of defence spending will return as a vital topic to Britain.

It would however be a mistake to focus only on the direct support to Ukraine, for the indirect costs to Britain of the energy crisis which has accompanied the tensions between Russia and the West have been much higher.

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