Rishi Sunak And US Vice President Kamala Harris today reaffirmed her support for Ukraine and the Western alliance at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Mr Sunak told the conference it was ‘time to double down’ on support for Ukraine’s defense by providing more artillery, armored vehicles and air defence.
Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris told the summit that US support for Ukraine would ‘not waver’ and Russia would be held accountable for ‘crimes against humanity’.
Mrs Harris also warned China against providing ‘lethal’ support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Sunak told the conference it was ‘time to double down’ on support for Ukraine’s defense by providing more artillery, armored vehicles and air defence. Image: Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Munich Security Conference today
US Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the conference and said that America’s support for Ukraine will ‘not waver’ and Russia will be held accountable for its ‘crimes against humanity’.
Mr Sunak said: ‘Together we must help Ukraine protect its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones.
That is why we are working with allies to provide Ukraine with the most advanced air defense systems and build the air force it needs to defend our nation.
‘Of course, the United Kingdom is prepared to help any country providing planes that Ukraine can use today.
But we must also train Ukrainian pilots to use the most advanced jets. This is exactly what Britain is doing so that Ukraine has the ability to defend its security in the long term.’
He also said that the United Kingdom would be the first country to provide long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Sunak added: ‘To achieve peace, we also need to rebuild the international order on which our collective security depends.
‘First, it means upholding international law. The whole world should give an account to Russia.
‘We must see justice through the ICC for their heinous war crimes, whether in Bucha, Irpen, Mariupol or beyond, and Russia must also be held accountable for the terrible destruction it has caused.’
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also agreed with Mr Sunak to ‘maintain record levels of international support for Ukraine’ and discussed his support for Swedish and Finnish accession to NATO in a bilateral meeting before the main conference.
This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskyDuring a visit to Britain, Paris and Brussels last week, he urged the West to provide F-16 fighter jets for its air force.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is received by Britain’s Ambassador to Germany, Jill Gallard, upon his arrival at the airport in Munich to attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
US Vice President Kamala Harris termed Russia as a ‘crime against humanity’.
She said: ‘If Putin thinks he can wait for us, he is very mistaken. Time is not on his side.
Addressing Ukraine, Mrs Harris said: ‘The United States of America is proud to be your partner in this noble cause.’
The Munich Security Conference brings together like-minded top officials from around the world to discuss urgent security issues such as the ongoing Ukraine war and US-China relations.
At the conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested the EU should join forces with the bloc’s defense industry to ramp up production of badly needed ammunition on the battlefield in Ukraine.
He suggested that Block should do what he did during the pandemic to prepare for mass production of a COVID vaccine.
Mrs von der Leyen said: ‘For example, we can think of advanced procurement agreements, which give the defense industry the possibility to invest in production lines so they can scale up faster and the amount they can deliver. Can
‘The time has come, indeed, to accelerate production, and to increase the production of standardized products that Ukraine so desperately needs, for example standardized ammunition.’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that the EU should join forces with the bloc’s defense industry to speed up and increase production of ammunition badly needed on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Mr Sunak is also expected to meet Mrs von der Leyen to talk about a deal to fix the Northern Ireland protocol.
It comes after Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar expressed his hope for a positive outcome of talks between the UK and the EU following a brief phone call to Mrs von der Leyen.
An Irish government spokesman said The Taoiseach expressed a ‘strong desire to see a positive outcome that provides a new foundation for the relationship between the EU and the UK’.
It continued: ‘Most importantly, he hoped for an agreement that could pave the way for the restoration of the institutions under the Good Friday Agreement. ‘They agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days as the matter progresses.’
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi commented on a row between his country and the US after Washington shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had flown over US territory.
He condemned Washington’s handling of the incident as ‘hysterical’ and ‘absurd’, reiterating Beijing’s claim that the craft was just an unmanned civilian airship that flew off course.
Wang questioned whether the US was planning to shoot down every balloon in Earth’s skies.
Wang Yi, China’s director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office, questioned whether the US was planning to shoot down every balloon in Earth’s skies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the conference by video link yesterday, urged world leaders to step up support for his country.
Kiev fears vital supplies will arrive too slowly to defend against new attacks.
Mr Zelensky said: ‘We need to hurry. We need speed – speed of our agreements, speed of our deliveries, speed of decisions to limit Russian capability.’
Speaking after Mr Zelensky, Mr Macron urged allies to ‘intensify our support’ for Ukraine to help its forces launch a counter-offensive.
Mr Scholz insisted German support was ‘designed to last’ but indirectly took a dig at other allies over faltering efforts to deliver promised tanks to Ukraine.
Berlin has vowed to send some of the most advanced weapons from its military stockpiles but is struggling to persuade allies to do so.
Mr Scholz said: ‘Those who can send such battle tanks should really do so now.’