British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at the Munich Security Conference that the United Kingdom is training Ukrainian soldiers to defend their country and will also help any nation to provide planes to Ukraine
However, he did not make any commitment to send fighter jets to Ukraine any time soon. He said that the UK will become the first nation to send long-range weapons to a war-torn country.
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“When Putin started this war, he gambled that our resolve would falter. Even now, he is betting we will lose our nerve,” Sunak said in his address.
He said that the UK will always be on the side of "freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The UK prime minister exuded confidence in his willingness to work towards the collective security of Europe, despite no longer being a part of the European Union.
"Security of the European continent will always be our priority," Sunak asserted.
Speaking at the Munich summit, UK PM apprised the gathering that his country was the first to provide tanks to Ukraine and the first to train Ukrainian pilots and marines. However, he stated that there is a need for a "military strategy and a political strategy."
"Ukraine needs and deserves the assurance," Sunak said adding that the UK will be the first nation to aid Ukraine by supplying longer-range weapons. "UK is ready to help any country to provide Ukraine planes they need today but we must also train Ukrainian pilots to use advanced jets."
He held Russia accountable for war crimes in Bucha, Irpin and Mariupol.
UK PM also said that ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukraine needs to get long-term assurance and a new NATO charter must be forged to help protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression.
“Now is the moment to double down on our military support for Ukraine," he asserted. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on a trip to London last week requested UK to provide Ukraine with more defence weapons, especially fighter jets.
On Saturday, at the Munich Security Conference, the leaders of various allies of Ukraine, including US Vice President Kamala Harris pledged support to Ukraine. Sunak defended Ukraine saying that Kyiv "is suffering unprovoked aggression" and "its people have been killed."
Referring to China, Sunak said that Beijing needs to play a responsible role when it comes to a situation like Ukraine war. The key focus at the Munich Security Conference is the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the support the Western allies are giving to Ukraine. The key speakers on Saturday included the American Vice President Kamala Harris and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak amongst others.
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