British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced on Wednesday that his country will provide body armor and armored vehicles to the anti-regime militants battling the Syrian army.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced on Wednesday that his country will provide body armor and armored vehicles to the anti-regime militants battling the Syrian army.

Hague indicated that the $20 million (15.4 million euros) worth aid was “a necessary, proportionate and lawful response to a situation of extreme humanitarian suffering.”

"The fact remains that diplomacy is taking far too long and the prospect of an immediate breakthrough is slim," he told parliament.

The announcement comes after the European Union authorized last Thursday the supply of non-lethal military equipment and training to the armed Syrian opposition.

"We will also now provide new types of non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians, going beyond what we have given before," Hague said, adding that “it will certainly include, for instance, armored four-wheel drive vehicles to help opposition figures move around more freely, as well as personal protection equipment including body armor."