UK PM Sunak urges global leaders to double down on military aid to Ukraine

The relevant statement was made by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak during his speech at the Munich Security Conference, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Sunak, the United Kingdom became the first country in the world to provide tanks to Ukraine and the first to train pilots and marines.

In 2022, the United Kingdom provided GBP 2.3 billion to Ukraine, and is planning to “match or exceed that in 2023”. Other allies can tell a similar story, and their collective efforts are making a difference, Sunak noted.

“But with every day that passes, Russian forces inflict yet more pain and suffering. Now the only way to change that is for Ukraine to win. So we need a military strategy for Ukraine to gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield to win the war, and a political strategy to win the peace,” Sunak said.

In his words, Ukraine needs “more artillery, armoured vehicles and air defence” to win this war.

“So now is the moment to double down on our military support. When Putin started this war, he gambled that our resolve would falter. Even now, he is betting that we will lose our nerve. But we proved him wrong then. And we will prove him wrong now,” Sunak stressed.

Together, Ukraine’s partners will deliver as much equipment in the next few months as in the whole of 2022, Sunak emphasized.

“And together we must help Ukraine to shield its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones. And that’s why the UK will be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons. And it’s why we’re working with our allies to give Ukraine the most advanced air defence systems, and build the air force they need to defend their nation,” Sunak noted.

According to Sunak, the United Kingdom stands ready to help any country provide planes that Ukraine can use today.

However, it is also necessary to train Ukrainian pilots to use the most advanced jets, and that’s exactly what the United Kingdom is doing to ensure that Ukraine has the capability to defend its security for the long term, Sunak added.