Rishi Sunak committed £50 million in defense aid to Ukraine during his first visit to Kyiv as prime minister. He met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mr. Sunak stated that being in Kyiv was “very humbling” and that the United Kingdom would continue to support Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Mr. Zelensky stated, “Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been the staunchest of allies since the earliest days of the war.”
The assistance package is meant to resist Russian air attacks.
The £50 million in defense help includes 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to resist lethal Iranian-supplied drones, such as dozens of radars and anti-drone electronic warfare capabilities.
Mr. Sunak also said that the United Kingdom will expand its training program for the Ukrainian military by deploying army medics and engineers to the region to provide specialized support.
It follows the announcement earlier this month by UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace of more than 1,000 additional anti-air missiles.
During his visit, the prime minister observed drones manufactured in Iran that had been used to target and bomb Ukrainian citizens in recent months.
Mr. Sunak also lay flowers for the war dead and lit a candle at a memorial for the Holodomor hunger victims of the 1930s before meeting with firefighters.
The premier declared: “I am glad of the United Kingdom’s early support for Ukraine. And I’m here to declare that the United Kingdom and our friends will continue to stand with Ukraine as it works to end this barbaric war and bring about a just peace.
“While Ukraine’s military forces can fight back Russian soldiers on the ground, civilians are being blasted ruthlessly from the air. Today, we are supplying new air defense, including anti-aircraft guns, radar, and anti-drone equipment, as well as increasing humanitarian aid in preparation for the upcoming harsh winter.
He said that it was “very humbling” to be in the Ukrainian capital and meet individuals “paying such a great price to protect the ideas of sovereignty and democracy.”
Mr. Sunak’s promise to provide more air defense help is exactly what President Zelensky would want to hear at a time when Russian airstrikes have destroyed about fifty percent of the country’s energy infrastructure, according to the Kyiv government.
The men’s dreams for peace and a just conclusion to the conflict may seem remote, but Mr. Sunak’s offer to organize a reconstruction conference for Ukraine in London next year is excellent news for the government and businesses, who are in dire need of access to international money.
In recent months, Ukraine has requested aid from Western nations in response to intensive Russian aircraft attacks on Kyiv and the rest of the country.
Russia launched one of its largest barrages of missiles against Ukraine earlier this week, days after its troops were forced to retreat from Kherson.
The entire country was struck, from Lviv in the west to Chernihiv in the north, including Kyiv.
This strike coincided with this week’s G20 conference in Indonesia, where Mr. Zelensky stated in a virtual statement that “now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and may be stopped.”
While Mr. Sunak was attending the Bali meeting, where Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was present, the British prime minister urged Russia to “get out of Ukraine” and criticized the country for its “barbaric invasion.”
He emphasized that Britain would “support Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Besides the United States, the United Kingdom is currently the largest donor of military aid to Ukraine. According to the House of Commons library, the United Kingdom has contributed approximately £2.3 billion and pledged to match that amount in 2023.
The United Kingdom will also host a 120-day training program for 10,000 new and existing Ukrainian personnel.
Mr. Sunak’s predecessor, Boris Johnson, met Mr. Zelensky in June and August in Kyiv.
After being the first international person to publicly endorse Ukraine and give military aid, Mr. Johnson became virtually a cult figure in Ukraine.
So early on in his tenure, Mr. Sunak faces a difficult comparison. Many people in Ukraine are unfamiliar with the new prime minister and will want to gauge his commitment to the country.
