West must give Ukraine advanced Nato-standard capabilities – PM
THE West must give Ukrainian armed forces the “advanced, Nato-standard capabilities” needed to banish Russian troops from its land, the Prime Minister is due to say.
Rishi Sunak will tell the Munich Security Conference that more needs to be done to “boost Ukraine’s long-term security” and that leaders must “double down” on military support for the war-torn country.
The Prime Minister will use his afternoon speech at the German global security forum today to argue that securing a lasting peace for Ukraine will require international law to be strengthened.
With the one-year anniversary of the conflict approaching, he will also press for a new plan to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty in the future against Russian aggression, saying that Kyiv’s struggle is “about the security and sovereignty of every nation”.
The intervention follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Britain, Paris and Brussels last week as he made the case for the West to send fighter planes for his air force.
Mr Sunak used Mr Zelenskyy’s surprise visit to announce a twopronged approach to support for Ukraine, offering military kit immediately to fend off a Russian spring offensive while also preparing its forces for the longer term.
To coincide with the leader’s momentous trip, the UK Government announced that Britain would extend its training mission – which has already seen 10,000 Ukrainian troops come to the UK – to cover fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine can defend its skies using “Nato tactics” in the future.
The training of pilots is expected to commence in the spring, according to Downing Street officials.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Germany comes as some in Ukraine suggest a springtime offensive by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces has already begun.
Mr Sunak is expected to tell the forum that the West, in the face of ramped-up Russian attacks, must continue to back Kyiv.
“Now is the moment to double down on our military support,” he is to say.