UK Prime Minister Sunak vows to keep up navy help to Ukraine By Reuters

By David Milliken

LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to vow on Monday to keep up or improve navy help to Ukraine subsequent yr, and to confront worldwide rivals “not with grand rhetoric however with sturdy pragmatism”.

British authorities help for Ukraine has remained unchanged, regardless of turmoil in latest months as Boris Johnson was succeeded as prime minister by Liz Truss after which Sunak.

Nevertheless, some Conservatives view Sunak as much less hawkish on China than Truss – though a deliberate assembly between Sunak and China’s President Xi Jinping at this month’s G20 summit in Bali fell via and final week London banned Chinese language-made safety cameras from delicate authorities buildings.

“Beneath my management we can’t select the established order. We are going to do issues in another way,” Sunak mentioned in an extract launched by his workplace of his first main international coverage speech, which he plans to ship on Monday in London’s monetary district.

Sunak mentioned his priorities could be “freedom, openness and the rule of regulation”.

European Union officers have questioned whether or not Britain beneath Johnson was genuinely dedicated to its Brexit authorized agreements, particularly relating to Northern Eire.

On Ukraine, Sunak indicated no change with the coverage pursued by Johnson and Truss.

“We are going to stand with Ukraine for so long as it takes. We are going to keep or improve our navy help subsequent yr. And we are going to present new help for air defence,” he mentioned.

In September Britain mentioned it was the second largest navy donor to Ukraine after the US, offering 2.3 billion kilos ($2.8 billion) of help this yr.

Sunak mentioned Britain wanted to take the identical long-term strategy as its adversaries and rivals, who he didn’t title straight within the speech extracts, and that Britain ought to make “an evolutionary leap” in its strategy to international coverage.

“It means delivering a stronger financial system at house – as a result of it’s the basis of our power overseas. And it means standing as much as our rivals, not with grand rhetoric however with sturdy pragmatism,” he mentioned.

Sunak has beforehand described China as a “systemic problem” and “the only largest state menace to our financial safety”.

($1 = 0.8288 kilos)