UK Prime Minister to Urge Western Countries to Boost Military Support for Kiev, Report Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, during his speech at the Munich Security Conference this weekend, will call on Ukraine’s allies to "double down" on sending advanced capabilities to Kiev, a British newspaper reported.

"We need to do more to boost Ukraine’s long-term security. We must give them the advanced, Nato-standard capabilities that they need for the future. And we must demonstrate that we’ll remain by their side, willing and able to help them defend their country again and again," Sunak will say in his Saturday speech, as quoted by the paper.

The prime minister will argue that the Ukraine conflict is about the "security and sovereignty of every nation" and the West needs to prove to Russian President Vladimir Putin that its resolve will not "falter."

"Now is the moment to double down on our military support," Sunak is expected to say, adding "we will prove him [Putin] wrong now."

Earlier this week, Sunak and Polish President Andrzej Duda agreed on the importance of stepping up support for Ukraine in the coming weeks, and also discussed the training of Ukrainian pilots on NATO aircraft, which will begin in the United Kingdom soon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Sunak in London at the start of February. Speaking at a joint press conference with Zelensky, Sunak said that he did not rule out any options in providing military assistance to Ukraine.

In April 2022, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.