Rishi Sunak is to urge allies to “move faster” in arming Ukraine, during a G7 meeting to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion. During a video call on Friday, the prime minister will say giving Ukraine a “decisive” edge in the conflict “must be our priority now”. No 10 said he would make the case to supply the country with longer-range weapons. The call will come on a day of events to mark one year since the war began. There will be a minute’s silence in the UK at 11.00 GMT, and Mr Sunak will host Ukrainian troops at a Downing Street event. Other British political leaders will also mark the anniversary, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer calling for the UK to “double down” on support for Ukraine.
The conflict, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February last year, has seen at least 100,000 of each side’s soldiers killed or injured, according to the US military. Thousands of civilians have also been killed, with more than 13 million people made refugees abroad or displaced within Ukraine. Ukraine has been urging its Western backers to increase support, as Russia mobilises ahead of an expected spring offensive. During the virtual meeting of leaders from the G7 group of advanced economies, Mr Sunak is expected to say an acceleration in support is “what it will take to shift Putin’s mindset”. “This must be our priority now,” he will add. “Instead of an incremental approach, we need to move faster on artillery, armour, and air defence.” He is expected to make the argument for supplying Ukraine with “longer-range weapons” to disrupt Russia’s ability to target Ukraine’s infrastructure, something to which he committed the UK earlier this month. During a recent tour of Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky increased his calls for Western nations to supply his country with modern fighter jets.
The UK is to start training Ukrainian forces to fly NATO-Standard Jets. But like other Western nations, it has so far not supplied jets, saying it remains a long-term option. Although support for Ukraine has united the UK’s main political parties, Mr Sunak has faced pressure from some of his own Conservative MPs to supply fast jets as soon as possible. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was in office when Russia invaded and is among those urging faster action on jets, used the anniversary to repeat his call to give President Zelensky weapons “to finish the job”. “The last year has taught us that sooner or later, the West gives the Ukrainians what they need,” he said in a statement released to journalists. “And if that is the choice – sooner or later – let’s make it sooner, for the sake of Ukraine and the world.”
‘Acts of heroism’
As he marked the anniversary, Sir Keir said UK parties should continue the unity they had shown during the war so far in the coming months. “The resolve and the bravery of the Ukrainian people, supported by their allies across the world, has doomed Putin’s barbaric invasion to failure,” he said. “We should take inspiration from their courage and resolve to double down on our support for them. “Their fight for democracy, freedom and liberty in the face of tyranny is also our fight”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey paid tribute to the “amazing acts of heroism in Ukraine” and said the UK would “stand in solidarity with Ukraine until they achieve victory”. In a letter to Ukrainians in Scotland to mark the anniversary, SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wished a “speedy victory for Ukraine”.
