Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine today before jointly signing the London Declaration.
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Press Release, Whitehall, 08 February 2023: The Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy for a bilateral meeting during his visit to the UK today. He paid tribute to President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people’s courage and sacrifice. The Prime Minister thanked the President for his visit and powerful address to Parliament.
President Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister for his and the UK’s enduring support, including today’s announcement that the UK will start training to put Ukraine on the path to NATO-standard air combat capability, and that the UK will provide long-range weapons.
The leaders discussed the need to accelerate Ukraine’s counter-offensive, backed by support from the UK and other allies. That means providing the kind of advanced capabilities that the UK has announced today, and delivering the same level of equipment that was previously given in months in a matter of weeks.
They agreed that Ukraine’s counter-offensive against the Russian invasion can and will prevail, heralding in a more secure future for Ukraine.
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London Declaration of 08 February 2023
Declaration between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the government of Ukraine:-
The UK and Ukraine are united in a shared belief that nations should be sovereign, democratic and free.
Russia’s unprovoked attacks on Ukraine since 2014, and its full-scale invasion last year, have brutally assaulted Ukraine and its citizens. They are an attack on Europe’s security and the rights of people to determine their own future. They threaten our freedom.
Our countries stand side by side in the face of this aggression. We are the closest of friends, and the most committed of partners. Inspired by the heroism and resilience of the Ukrainian people, we have come together as never before. We share a common purpose.
President Putin believed his forces would be welcomed with open arms, that Ukrainians would not fight and that Western support would crumble. He has been proved wrong on all counts. The ingenuity, courage and determination of the Ukrainian people has been remarkable.
The UK reaffirms its unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its recognised borders, as well as Ukraine’s right to pursue its own security arrangements, including future membership of NATO.
Ukraine’s armed forces are defending not only their territory but also the UN Charter, our shared values and core principles of international law. Our countries firmly reject Russia’s claim to a ‘zone of influence’ and attempts to change borders by force. We share values on sovereignty and self-determination. We share the determination that atrocities committed by Russia must never happen again.
The UK’s military, humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine since the invasion has reached nearly £4bn. The UK is proud to be the largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, with support of £2.3bn in 2022. Since 2015, the UK has been training the Ukrainian Armed Forces through Operation ORBITAL. We were the first European country to provide lethal aid. The UK has continued to lead the way in support for Ukraine to defend itself including anti-tank weapons and tanks. Our military support to Ukraine is enduring. UK support will continue to contribute across all three domains; Land, Air, Sea.
The UK remains committed to provide humanitarian aid to those in greatest need, to support Ukraine’s budget and economy, and to help restore Ukraine’s energy grid and other civilian infrastructure attacked by illegal Russian airstrikes. The UK has now sanctioned over 1,200 Russian individuals and over 120 entities since the invasion, the most extensive sanctions ever imposed against a major economy.
Our countries are determined to pursue victory against Russia’s invasion and a just and sustainable peace.
Ukraine has a right to defend itself. Together, we will build Ukrainian armed forces that are able to defend their country and deter attacks. The UK is working with Ukraine to help develop their longer-term force structures and capabilities, to reverse Russian gains and build towards a deterrence force of the future. In 2023 the UK will train at least double the number of Ukrainian forces trained in 2022, and provide at least £2.3bn in military aid, including more advanced capabilities.
Ahead of the Vilnius Summit, we will work with Allies to deepen Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO, and to accelerate Ukraine’s transition to NATO standards.
Together with our closest partners, we will pursue long-term security commitments that will support Ukraine to defend itself and deter future Russian aggression.
We will introduce new measures against key sectors of the Russian economy and those in Russia and outside who are supporting or profiting from the war. We will also take determined action with partners to tackle all forms of sanctions circumvention.
We will work together to help Ukraine’s grain reach world markets. This will include seeking the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and ‘Grain from Ukraine’, which are aimed at ensuring food security for the world’s most vulnerable people.
We will also work together in international organisations to defend the principles in the UN Charter. We will step up our efforts with partners to tackle Russian disinformation across the world, and deprive Russia of a platform for its propaganda.
Europe will not be secure until Ukraine’s sovereignty is restored and there is a just peace that respects Ukraine’s rights under international law and the UN Charter. The UK therefore welcomes President Zelenskyy’s ‘ten point Peace Formula’ and supports the principles in it. The UK is ready to play a leading role in taking forward concrete steps to implement the peace plan.
We will pursue joint initiatives to create the foundations for a just and lasting peace, including by stepping up our work to hold to account those responsible for war crimes, atrocities, and aggression – including the political and military leadership of Russia. The UK has joined the Core Group of countries working jointly to ensure that Russian leaders responsible for aggression are held to account.
Our countries will seek to ensure that Ukraine’s future is secure and prosperous. The UK welcomes recent progress made by Ukraine on reform, as well as President Zelenskyy’s commitment to de-oligarchisation and strengthening public institutions.
We will accelerate work to implement the 2020 UK-Ukraine Political, Free Trade & Strategic Agreement. This envisages preferential treatment on a range of goods and services, and sets out that our relationship is built on shared values, democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms, open economies, the rule of law and fight against corruption.
Ukraine and the UK will work to bring together the international community in support of a just and lasting peace.
We will co-host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on 21-22 June. We will build a modern, resilient Ukrainian economy that strengthens the rule of law, tackles corruption and promotes reform. The UK will seek to facilitate access by Ukraine to UK private finance, insurance, tech and other expertise.
We will also ensure, consistent with our legal systems, that Russia has no access to the assets we have frozen or immobilised until it ends, once and for all, its violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will pursue all lawful routes to ensure that Russian assets are made available in support of Ukraine’s reconstruction, in line with international law.
We are confident, that together with our allies and partners, we will defeat Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion, and build a stronger Ukraine where peace and prosperity will prevail.
Signed at London 8 February 2023
- for and behalf of the Government of the United Kingdom: The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- for and behalf of the Government of Ukraine: His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine
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