Britain’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in his first visit to Kyiv on Saturday, November 19, 2022 has pledge to continue the support for Ukraine which was a focus of his predecessors.
“Britain knows what it means to fight for freedom,” Sunak said in a tweet.
“We are with you all the way,” he added.
In a statement the PM added that Britain will support Ukraine by providing a new air defence package to help fight drone attacks.
Britain would provide a new 50 million pound ($60 million) package that includes anti-aircraft guns and technology such as radar to counter drone attacks.
Britain will also increase the training it provides to Ukraine’s armed forces.
“While Ukraine’s armed forces succeed in pushing back Russian forces on the ground, civilians are being brutally bombarded from the air,” Sunak said in his statement.
“We are today providing new air defence, including anti-aircraft guns, radar and anti-drone equipment, and stepping up humanitarian support for the cold, hard winter ahead.”
Upon welcoming the PM, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a video on Saturday of the two meeting in Kyiv.
“With friends like you by our side, we are confident in our victory. Both of our nations know what it means to stand up for freedom,” Zelenskiy said in a tweet.
Following Liz Truss’ brief tenure as premier, Sunak, a former finance minister, assumed office last month. Both she and her predecessor Boris Johnson made it clear that publicly supporting Ukraine was a top priority for them, and Sunak has stuck to that promise.
Since last month, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure more frequently with long-range attacks, including employing drones that Kyiv claims are produced in Iran.
As a result, Ukraine has asked the West for air defenses against these Russian attacks.
