"For our part in the United Kingdom, we have solemn commitment to match or exceed the £2.3bn in aid that we provided this year next year and I would very much hope and encourage others around the table to do whatever they can to continue the strong support."
London: The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak said that it’s an incredibly important time for us to come together and discuss first and foremost the situation in Ukraine. Volodymyr and his people have really inspired us all. They have demonstrated that thanks to their determination, Putin is realizing that he cannot win on the battlefield. According to a release from the London.
He was addressing the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Leaders' Meeting in Riga, Latvia.
He also said, "Putin is now escalating the conflict in a way that is bringing about quite frankly appalling consequences for the people of Ukraine. I saw it myself when I visited recently and I’m sure we’ll hear more about it soon. The JEF nations, all of us around this table are some of Ukraine’s closest friends and allies."
"The JEF nations, all of us around this table are some of Ukraine’s closest friends and allies," he added.
He thinks there are three priorities to consider about next year.
As he said, "I think the first is ensuring that we deliver more military aid and that military aid evolves to meet the situation that we are now facing. That means more air defence systems, it means artillery, it means armoured vehicles. For our part in the United Kingdom, we have pledged to match or exceed the £2.3bn in aid that we provided this year next year and I would very much hope and encourage others around the table to do whatever they can to continue the strong support. I think secondly, as Krišjānis alluded to, we must be clear that any unilateral call for a ceasefire by Russia is completely meaningless in the current context. I think it would be a false call."
He continued, "It would be used by Russia to regroup, to reinforce their troops and until they have withdrawn from conquered territory, there can and should be no real negotiation. But what we can do is think about that time now. Think about what we will do with regard to security assurances and that is the planning that I think this group can play an important part in. And I think thirdly and lastly, we must continue to focus on degrading Russia’s capability to regroup and to resupply and that means going after its supply chains and removing the international support."
His opinion is that Iran and the weapons that it is currently providing to Russia, which Westerns should be very strong about calling out as they have done in the United Nations.
But also the economic consequences for Russia must continue to be severe and in that vein, the new oil price cap that the G7 have instituted and others have followed, He thought.
Finally, he assured again that his country will support Ukraine against Russia.
Image: UK PM Office