PM’s praise for Biden’s ‘historic decision’ on fighter jets
RISHI Sunak last night backed President Biden’s “historic decision” to approve the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
President Volodymyr Zelensky will plead for military aid at the G7 summit tomorrow, saying the move “will greatly enhance our army in the sky”.
The Prime Minister and other Western allies are meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, to tighten the screws on the Russian war machine.
Mr Sunak said: “The UK will work with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs.We stand united.”
But President Biden approved proposals to train Ukrainian pilots on US F-16 fighter jets. This is a likely first step to Ukraine receiving the warplanes from European allies.
The training will be conducted in Europe and will likely begin in the coming weeks. But Mr Biden told the leaders that decisions on when, how many and who will provide the fighter jets for Ukraine will be made in the months ahead.
A US official said: “President Biden informed G7 leaders the United States will support a joint effort with our allies to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force.”
Mr Zelensky, who was pictured yesterday arriving at the Arab League summit, now hopes world leaders will discuss the “practical implementation of this decision” during the G7 Summit.
And Britain has confirmed it will target companies connected to the theft of Ukrainian grain and the shipment of Russian energy in new sanctions against the Kremlin.
The UK said it will continue “increasing the economic pressure” on Russian leader Vladimir Putin until peace in Ukraine is restored.
The Government will sanction 86 individuals and entities, freezing the assets of those involved in key streams of revenue.
Mr Sunak is using the summit to urge allies to tighten the vice around Putin and his cronies, warning the Russian despot “we’re not going away”. He will also set out the UK’s plan to stop China and Russia from holding countries to economic ransom. The PM wants “bold action” to prevent hostile economic activity – such as the impact of Russia’s stranglehold on European gas supplies.
China has also used its economic power to coerce countries including Australia and Lithuania over political disputes. Mr Sunak said: “We should be clear-eyed about the growing challenge we face. China is engaged in a concerted and strategic
economic contest. And when Russia weaponised Europe’s energy supplies, it was a sign of what can happen when we rely too much on states who don’t share our values.
“Our collective economic security matters now more than ever. By working together and avoiding competition between friends, we can lift our prosperity, innovate faster and out-compete autocratic states.”
The UK has taken a steps to further bolster our domestic economic security, including launching the new National Protective Security Authority within
MI5 earlier this year to provide expert advice to businesses, academics and others.
Mr Sunak said: “Russia needs to know that we and other countries remain steadfast in our resolve to support Ukraine, not just in the here and now with the resources it needs to protect itself, but for the long term as well.” He added to ITV News: “They can’t just outlast us in this conflict. “One of the conversations I’ll be having and have been having with my fellow leaders is about the longer-term security agreements that we put in place in Ukraine, to deter future Russian aggression.” G7 leaders have been working on a document to reiterate support for Ukraine, separate from the group’s traditional joint statement at the end of its gathering. The latest sanctions cover companies connected to Russia’s nuclear state company Rosatom, as well as organisations linked to the country’s wider defence, energy, metals, transport and financial sectors.
The Foreign Office said the sanctions are part of a crackdown on what it describes as “shady individuals and entities” connected to the theft and resale of Ukrainian grain.
Russia’s sovereign assets will also remain immobilised until it agrees to pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine, said Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
Britain has promised to ban Russian diamonds and metals including aluminium, nickel and copper. And 20 defence executives and companies equipping both the Russian armed forces and the Wagner group have been targeted.
India is being represented at the G7 summit because it is the G20 chair, while Brazil is there as a guest.
UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky’s appearance at the G7 summit on Sunday will stick the ultimate two fingers up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Putin hoped Ukraine’s military would collapse in the face of the assault from his war machine. He also hoped that the resolve of world leaders to resist the creation of a new Russian empire would dissolve as the conflict dragged on.
The Russian leader has been proved badly wrong on both counts. In fact, the UK and its allies are continuing to increase pressure on the Kremlin with a new wave of sanctions that will target companies connected to the theft of Ukrainian grain and the shipment of Russian energy.
At the same time, support for proposals to supply Ukraine with fighter jets appears to be growing. Ukraine’s allies have been impressed by their determination to defend their freedom, but this is also our fight.
A world in which Russia can invade a European country with impunity will not be a safe one.