Joint press conference with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to welcome you Olaf to Downing Street.

The friendship between our two countries has become even more vital since Putin launched his barbaric onslaught against Ukraine, bringing war to our continent.

I know that Britain and Germany share exactly the same sense of horror and revulsion at the brutality being unleashed, including the unconscionable bombing of refugees fleeing their homes this morning.

The attack at the train station in eastern Ukraine shows the depths to which Putin’s vaunted army has sunk – at least 39 people killed and dozens wounded on a train platform crowded with women and children.

Is it a war crime indiscriminately to attack civilians, and Russia’s crimes in Ukraine will not go unnoticed or unpunished.

Germany and the UK also share exactly the same conviction that Putin must fail in Ukraine.

Which is why we are working together in the G7 to toughen our sanctions, and target every pillar of the Russian economy, in order to cut off the funds from his war machine.

The UK and the EU have announced new sanctions this week, and just today we in the UK have imposed new asset freezes and travel bans.

We will also agree on the importance of weaning ourselves off dependence on Russian gas and oil, and ensuring that our energy security cannot be threatened by a rogue state.

This is not easy for any of us, and I applaud the seismic decisions taken by Olaf’s government to move Germany away from Russian hydrocarbons.

Today we have agreed to maximise the potential of the North Sea and collaborate on energy security and on renewables, where Germany and the UK lead the way in new technology.

We cannot transform our respective energy systems overnight, but we also know that Putin’s war will not end overnight.

That’s why Britain and Germany have joined dozens of allies to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons. Last week, the UK convened a donor conference which raised weapons and equipment for Ukraine worth over £1.5 billion – or 2.5 million items of military kit.

Today I can announce that the UK will send a further £100 million worth of high-grade military equipment to Ukraine’s armed forces, including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, which fly at three times the speed of sound, another 800 anti-tank missiles, and precision munitions, capable of lingering in the sky until directed to their target.

We will also send more helmets, night vision and body armour, on top of the 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment the UK has already dispatched.

But Olaf and I agree that our two countries and our allies must go further and provide more help to Ukraine. The Europe we knew just six weeks ago no longer exists: Putin’s invasion strikes at the very foundations of the security of our continent.

But his ambition to divide us has demonstrably failed; on the contrary, he has succeeded in uniting Europe and the whole trans-Atlantic alliance in support of Ukraine, and in strong solidarity with each other.

Putin has steeled our resolve, sharpened our focus, and he has forced Europe to begin to rearm to guarantee our shared security.

Britain and Germany will work together to ensure that our Armed Forces are fit for the future, including with our joint effort to manufacture state-of-the-art Boxer armoured vehicles.

We will hold a joint Cabinet meeting between our two Governments within the next year, our defence ministers will meet before the NATO summit in June, and I look forward to joining you Olaf at Schloss Elmau for the next G7 summit.

We face the new reality created by Putin’s invasion, I know that Britain and Germany will meet this challenge together, as passionate advocates of democracy and freedom, and both committed friends of Ukraine.

Thank you.

• Angler found guilty of breaching national fishing byelaws
• The night-time fishing trip cost him a penalty of £619

A Nottingham man’s fishing trip in the middle of the night on the River Trent in Colwick, Nottinghamshire in September 2021 has cost him £619 after he illegally removed fish from the river.

His case was brought to Nottingham Magistrates Court by the Environment Agency on Tuesday 5 April, where 37-year-old Piotr Czyzak, of Leonard Street, Nottingham, was found guilty to the offence of removing the fish.

He was fined £440 and ordered to pay £135 costs and a victim surcharge of £44.

The defendant was found by Environment Agency fisheries enforcement officers to be in possession of chub that he had removed from the river on 4 September.

Following the verdict, Lee Watts, Fisheries Enforcement Officer for the Environment Agency, said:

We found the defendant with the fish that had been removed from the River Trent while out on our night patrols, between 3am – 4am. On this occasion the defendant had a valid fishing licence, but it is also imperative for anglers to observe fishing byelaws.

The case shows how seriously the courts take these offences and we hope the penalty will act as a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of breaking fishing byelaws. Not complying with the byelaws can incur a fine of up to £50,000.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency’s incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

On 4 September 2021 the defendant removed chub from the River Trent contrary to Byelaw 3(i) of the Environment Agency National Byelaws in accordance with section 210 and Schedule 25 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and contrary to Section 211 of the Act.

The national fishing byelaws protect and improve freshwater fish and their habitats. If you do not comply with them, you could face prosecution and be fined up to £50,000.

For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-rod-fishing-byelaws-for-england-freshwater-fishing-with-a-rod-and-line

• Delivering on the Integrated Review and maintaining close UK-German defence ties
• Programme supports up to 1,000 UK jobs

The British Army will receive 100 extra armoured Boxer vehicles, ensuring more vehicles reach the frontline faster and bolstering the programme to a total of 623, as the UK maintains defence ties with Germany, the Prime Minister has announced today.

The modern digitalised armoured vehicles can be used to transport troops to the frontline and can be rapidly reconfigured to fulfil different roles on the battlefield.

The UK and Germany have worked closely together on the Boxer programme for the British Army, with the Boxer build in the UK benefitting from German expertise, data and collaboration.

Now boasting more than 400 Boxer vehicles themselves, Germany has had older variants of the vehicle in service for more than 10 years, including service in Afghanistan. Their success in the German Army means they continue to develop new variants of the vehicle.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

In these difficult times, our deep defence partnership offers reassurance to our people and the wider world, while also ensuring we are ready to respond to new threats.

This joint programme will ensure our militaries have state-of-the-art equipment as the invasion of Ukraine shakes the very foundations of European peace and security.

Boxer production for the British Army is underway. The first 117 vehicles are being built on German production lines, as UK facilities in Telford and Stockport ramp up for the remaining 506 and begin manufacture.

The first Boxer vehicles will arrive in units from 2023, with the overall programme protecting up to 1,000 jobs nationally, enhancing skill sets and creating an ambitious UK apprenticeship scheme.

Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin said:

This order will accelerate the delivery of the Boxer fleet to the British Army and increase its numbers.

The land equipment upgrade is a vital element of the Integrated Review, on which we continue to deliver. Doing so, alongside our German allies, creates opportunities for both our Armed Forces.

As an addition to the £2.8 billion contract announced in 2019, manufacture of the additional vehicles will commence shortly. UK production is focused in Telford through Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), and Stockport through WFEL, with supply chain sub-contracts across the UK, including in Glasgow with Thales.

Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Tickell KBE said:

This is a significant announcement for the Army in enhancing this key capability under the Integrated Review. Boxer will form the core of our modernised Armoured Brigade Combat Teams and it is great news for our service personnel getting more of these excellent platforms as part of delivering Future Soldier, whilst investing in the UK’s defence industry and supply chains.

Enhancing and accelerating Boxer production ensures warfighting remains at the heart of the British Army and today’s announcement reaffirms our threat-led approach, as outlined in the Integrated Review.

Background

• The UK announced in 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme with OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement / Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) to explore options to modernise its vehicle fleet to meet the Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle requirement.
• These extra vehicles will be produced in both UK and Germany whilst full production transfers to the UK. Production will source and sustain expertise and components from the already maturing and expanding UK supply chain, supporting the initial batch of 523 placed in 2019.
• The UK played a central role in the original design, development and testing of the Boxer, beginning in 1998. In re-joining the programme in 2019, the UK reassumed the rights it had as a project partner.
• The cost of the additional vehicles will not be published for commercially sensitive reasons.