As she landed in the Czech Republic for a series of crucial talks in Prague, Liz Truss stated that Europe must “remain steadfast” towards Ukraine.
Liz Truss will meet with EU leaders today, following a turbulent party conference at which her plans sparked division among Conservatives.
The prime minister landed in the Czech Republic on Thursday morning for the European leaders’ summit in Prague, where she is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Ms. Truss is anticipated to attempt to persuade the audience that the United Kingdom has continued to play a leading role in Europe despite Brexit, citing the country’s backing for Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
She will also discuss lowering Europe’s energy dependence on Russia, cooperative projects to generate new nuclear and offshore wind power, and combating illegal migration.
Ms. Truss stated, upon her Thursday morning arrival in the Czech Republic, that Europe must “continue to be firm” with Ukraine.
The prime minister commented on social media: “Europe is facing its greatest crisis since World Conflict II with unity and resolve. We must continue to stand firm to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, addressing the strategic difficulties it has exposed.
Following the first meeting of Ms. Truss’s trip with Czech Prime Minister Fiala, a spokesperson for Downing Street stated that the two “were in great accord on the significance of like-minded European democracies presenting a united face against Putin’s ruthlessness.”
They discussed the UK and Czech Republic’s early support for Ukraine’s defense and the necessity to sustain military aid, reconstruction assistance, and sanctions against Putin’s administration,” concluded the spokeswoman.
“The prime minister and prime minister of Fiala also discussed options for our countries to collaborate to assure long-term energy supply, including nuclear and renewable energy cooperation.”
The summit follows Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney’s announcement that the UK and EU will hold talks this week to resolve issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol – a provision of the Brexit agreement intended to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, but which led to a border being placed in the Irish Sea.
He told reporters, “Both sides have committed to talk this week; it’s a great development that the British administration is finally taking engagement seriously.”
After this week’s stormy Conservative conference in Birmingham, however, Ms. Truss will have further difficulties at home, in addition to those she will face abroad.
The event marked a U-turn by the new government on one of its flagship ideas from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget: the cancellation of its proposal to eliminate the 45p tax rate for the top 1% of earnings.
It occurred after the fiscal catastrophe sent markets into chaos, causing the pound to collapse, mortgage products to be withdrawn, and the Bank of England to intervene to safeguard pension funds.
A dispute also erupted between different factions of the party, including her cabinet, over whether to increase benefits in pace with inflation, as promised by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson or to reduce them in real terms due to the rising cost of living.
Ms. Truss concluded the conference with a keynote address in which she vowed to “bring Britain through the storm” and asserted that “everyone will profit” from her economic plans.
However, the leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, stated that she “must reverse her kamikaze budget” and that “working people should not bear the cost of the Tories’ fantasy economics.
In response to the Prime Minister’s claim that Labour is part of an “anti-growth coalition,” he referred to Ms. Truss as the “destroyer of growth.”
