Rishi Sunak travelled to Ukraine on Saturday, in a signal of continuing UK support for President Volodymyr Zelensky and his war-torn country. The Prime Minister made his first visit to the country since taking office last month.
“Britain knows what it means to fight for freedom,” Mr Sunak tweeted. “We are with you all the way,” he told Mr Zelensky.
A Number 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister is in Ukraine today for his first visit to Kyiv to meet President Zelensky and confirm continued UK support.”
Following in the footsteps of both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, Mr Sunak has pledged that UK support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia will remain steadfast.
The prime minister, who has spoken to Mr Zelensky on more than one occasion since entering Downing Street, used his appearance at the G20 this week to join with allies and other Western leaders to condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
A video of the meeting, posted by Mr Sunak’s Twitter account, shows him shaking hands with the Ukrainian leader in a snowy Kyiv. “Welcome. How are you?” Mr Zelensky asks the Prime Minister.
“Really good to see you,” Mr Sunak says as Mr Zelensky gestures at the falling snow. The pair are shown shaking hands in front of the Union flag and Ukraine’s flag, with the pair also shown holding a one-to-one meeting.
The visit comes after a missile hit a Polish village close to the Ukrainian border, initially sparking concerns Russia had struck a Nato member state. Some of the tensions have been eased by the likely attribution of the hit to Ukrainian defence forces.
Mr Sunak has promised Ukraine a £50 million package of defence aid during his surprise visit.
In Kyiv, Mr Sunak laid flowers at a memorial for the war dead and lit a candle at a memorial for victims of the Holodomor famine, before meeting emergency personnel at a fire station. He said it was “deeply humbling” to be in Kyiv. “I am proud of how the UK stood with Ukraine from the very beginning. And I am here today to say the UK and our allies will continue to stand with Ukraine, as it fights to end this barbarous war and deliver a just peace.
“While Ukraine’s armed forces succeed in pushing back Russian forces on the ground, civilians are being brutally bombarded from the air. We are today providing new air defence, including anti-aircraft guns, radar and anti-drone equipment, and stepping up humanitarian support for the cold, hard winter ahead.
“It is deeply humbling to be in Kyiv today and to have the opportunity to meet those who are doing so much, and paying so high a price.”
