British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised the UK will become the first state to supply Ukraine with “longer-range weapons” for use in its war with Russia.
In comments made Saturday at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Rishi Sunak said the West must “help Ukraine protect its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones and that is why the United United will be the first country to supply Ukraine with more time- ranged weapons.
The British Prime Minister went on to say that his government was working with other NATO allies to “give Ukraine the most advanced air defense systems and build the air force it needs to to defend his nation”.
“[The United Kingdom] is ready to help any country to provide Ukraine with the aircraft it needs today, but we also need to train Ukrainian pilots in the use of advanced aircraft,” he said.
The escalation comes at a precarious time for Ukraine’s Western backers, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern that communist China is planning to shift from “providing rhetorical, political and diplomatic support to the Russia” to “provide lethal support to Russia”. which would have “serious consequences” for Sino-US relations.
“Never forget who the real threat to the world is,” a Chinese government spokesperson wrote amid the invasion of Ukraine, sharing an infographic sarcastically titled “USA Bombing List: The Democracy World Tour.” listing military interventions https://t.co/7OCRyth6ry
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondres) February 27, 2022
Over the past year, the UK government has sent almost £4bn in aid to Ukraine, including £2.3bn in the form of weapons, ammunition or other military equipment .
Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to London earlier this month, Downing Street said it was actively considering shipping fighter jets and long-range missiles to the war-torn country.
The two types of long-range missiles reportedly under consideration are the Harpoon high-explosive anti-ship missile with a range of 150 miles and the deep-penetrating Storm Shadow cruise missile with a range of 350 miles. According to Ukrainian defense sources speaking to The Times of Londonkyiv would use these weapons to expand the current conflict by launching an assault on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
It is also conceivable that long-range British missiles could be used to carry out attacks against Russia proper – a move that could see the localized war turn into a global conflict.
The UK will be the first country to equip Ukraine with longer-range weapons, Rishi Sunak said.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the prime minister called on world leaders to “redouble their military support”. https://t.co/IYjq6lCRtf pic.twitter.com/7IdvX7jewQ
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 18, 2023
Along with doubling the shipment of arms and equipment to Ukraine, Sunak said NATO should consider creating a “new charter” in its alliance agreement at the next meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, in order “to help protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression”.
Earlier this month, Sunak and Zelensky signed a document dubbed the London Declaration, in which Britain reiterated its stated position of supporting Ukraine’s admission to the NATO alliance – a decision which has been cited as one of the main motivating factors for the invasion of the country by the Kremlin, which has declared NATO expansion on its doorstep a “red line”.
Nevertheless, the statement clarifies that “[t]The UK continued to lead the way in supporting Ukraine in self-defence, including anti-tank weapons and tanks. Our military support for Ukraine is enduring. UK support will continue to contribute in all three areas; Land, air, sea.
So far, there has been little talk of actually seeking an end to the war through peace talks at the Munich summit, which ends on Sunday. Speaking to Friday’s conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the West must prepare for a ‘long war’ as he called on allies to provide Ukraine with more tanks, weapons and ammunition .
The German leader was followed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who, despite being an early supporter of peace talks with Moscow, said in Munich that now was ‘not the time for dialogue’ , adding that Western powers must help Ukraine launch a counter-offensive against Russia in order to have a “credible” position at the negotiating table.
The prospect of a peace deal was also dimmed this week by comments from President Zelesnky, who said he would not agree to any deal if it involved territorial concessions to the Russians – a position that will likely serve as a no-no. leaving for Moscow.
‘Nothing is on the table’ – Sunak plans to send fighter jets to Ukraine under pressure from Boris and Zelenksyhttps://t.co/W4VTolVi2q
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondres) February 8, 2023
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka
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