- Prime Minister announces that next year the UK will match or exceed the amount of military aid to Ukraine in 2022.
- During a visit to the United Nations this week, the prime minister will tell leaders that we must end Putin’s economic blackmail by eliminating all energy dependence on Russia.
- The visit to the UN General Assembly in New York comes as Ukraine continues to make unprecedented military gains against Russia.
Prime Minister Liz Truss will use her visit to New York this week to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s security and territorial integrity by announcing that next year the UK will support our record military support to Ukraine in the will reach or exceed by 2022.
Over the past two weeks, the world has witnessed a significant moment in the war in Ukraine, as areas in the east of the country were liberated from Ukrainian forces. The prime minister will point to this achievement as proof of what the Ukrainian people can achieve with the support of other democracies.
The Prime Minister will use her address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday to underscore the UK’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, without slacking off on our military, humanitarian and political support to the country.
The UK is already the second largest military donor to Ukraine, providing 2.3 billion armored vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment in 2022.
Last week saw the largest commercial road transport of munitions since World War II, as tens of thousands more rounds of artillery ammunition donated by Britain went to the front lines in Ukraine.
The exact nature of British military support in 2023 will be determined based on the needs of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. However, it is expected to include equipment such as the Multiple Launch Rocket System, which has been made available to Ukraine by Britain and others and has been instrumental in helping Ukraine retake over 3,000 square kilometers of territory in recent days.
The Prime Minister said:
Ukraine’s victories in recent weeks have been inspiring. Time and time again, these brave people have stood up to the doubters and shown what they can do when given the military, economic, and political support they need.
My message to the people of Ukraine is that the UK will continue to stand by you every step of the way. Your safety is our safety.
As Putin struggles to retain his influence in eastern Ukraine, he is using Russia’s control of Europe’s energy supply to economically blackmail the people of Europe. Earlier this month, Russia closed the Nord Stream pipeline again. Fueled by Russian threats and supply restrictions, the world has seen energy and food prices soar in recent months.
The Prime Minister will use her meetings with other leaders and CEOs in New York to catalyze global efforts to prevent Russia from profiting from its energy exports while ending energy dependency on authoritarian regimes.
The Prime Minister said:
By turning off the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin has sent millions of people across Europe into a colder and more difficult winter.
Too many lives – in Ukraine, in Europe and around the world – are being manipulated by dependence on Russian energy. We must work together to end this once and for all.
In her first week in office, the Prime Minister took sweeping action to help people in the UK struggling with the cost of living stemming from global headwinds caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the fallout from Covid .
This included the creation of a new energy supply task force to work with international gas suppliers to increase global supply and lower the price of gas.
The UK is also accelerating the deployment of clean and renewable technologies, including hydrogen, solar, carbon capture and storage, and wind power – where the UK is already a world leader in offshore generation.
