UK PM Rishi Sunak to seek more support for Ukraine during International Summits next week

UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, will encourage world leaders to provide more military and financial support for Ukraine when he attends International Summits next week, European Pravda reported citing UK Prime Minister's Office. Sunak is expected to travel to Iceland on May 16 where he will meet with the European leaders attending the Council of Europe summit and will push for expanding the military assistance for the Ukraine. He will then head to Tokyo to announce defence and technology cooperation with Japan and meet with the leaders of the other Group of Seven (G7) countries in Hiroshima. Sunak will also reportedly ask the hostile states against using “economic coercion” making reference to China without naming it. 

“This year’s G7 Summit in Hiroshima comes at a pivotal moment, as Ukraine doubles down in its fight for survival and we deal with complex threats to global peace and prosperity,” Sunak said in a statement.

More aid to Ukraine as it prepares for counteroffensive

"At the G7 summit, Sunak will insist on more aid to Ukraine as it prepares for stepped-up military action against Russia," a statement published by the 10 Downing Street read. "Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will undertake a packed tour of international engagements this week to drive economic growth and investment in the UK, shore up support for Ukraine and address critical global challenges like illegal migration," Sunak's office meanwhile noted. At the summit, the leaders will touch upon the mounting economic uncertainty that comes amid the concerns about the United States debt stalemate. 

In his earlier statements regarding the support for Ukraine to fight Russian aggression, Sunak had clarified that 'nothing is off the table," as he visited a British army base. "We must arm Ukraine in the short term, but we must bolster Ukraine for the long term." Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine needs all kinds of supplies, not just planes, but also ammunition and long-range missiles "Without this, there would be stagnation which will not bring to anything good," he added. Zelenskyy had also been thankful to the British people for their support since 'Day One' as Russia invaded Ukraine. UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had previously mentioned that the fighter jets Ukraine was demanding were "part of the conversation" regarding the aid in the future. On Thursday the UK became the first country to start supplying long-range cruise missiles to the Ukrainian forces that will strengthen Ukraine's spring counteroffensive on the front lines.