Prime Minister will use her visit to New York this week to solidify
the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s security and territorial
integrity, with the announcement that the UK will match or exceed
our record 2022 military support to Ukraine next year.
In the last two weeks the world has witnessed a significant
moment in the war in Ukraine, with territory in the east of the
country liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Prime
Minister will point to this success as evidence of what the
Ukrainian people can do with the backing of fellow democracies.
The Prime Minister will use her speech to the UN General Assembly
on Thursday to underscore the UK’s long-term commitment to
Ukraine, with no let up in our military, humanitarian and
political support to the country.
The UK is already the second largest military donor to Ukraine,
committing £2.3bn in 2022. We have trained 27,000 members of the
Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2015, and in the last year we have
provided hundreds of rockets, five air defence systems, 120
armoured vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military
equipment.
Last week saw the largest commercial road move of ammunition
since the Second World War as tens of thousands more rounds of
UK-donated artillery ammunition went to the front lines in
Ukraine.
The precise nature of UK military support in 2023 will be
determined based on the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
However, it is expected to include equipment like the Multiple
Launch Rocket System, provided to Ukraine by the UK and others,
which has been decisive in allowing Ukraine to re-gain over 3,000
square kilometres of territory in recent days.
The Prime Minister said:
Ukraine’s victories in recent weeks have been inspirational. Time
and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and
showed what they can do when given the military, economic and
political support they need.
My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue
to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is
our security.
As Putin struggles to maintain his hold in eastern Ukraine, he is
using Russia’s grip on European energy supplies to economically
blackmail the people of Europe. Earlier this month Russia again
closed off the Nord Stream Pipeline. Driven by Russian threats
and restrictions on supply, the world has seen a spike in energy
and food prices in recent months.
The Prime Minister will use her meetings with fellow leaders and
CEOs in New York to catalyse global efforts to stop Russia from
profiting off its energy exports while ending energy dependence
on authoritarian regimes.
The Prime Minister said:
By turning off the taps of Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin has
consigned millions of people in Europe to a colder and more
difficult winter.
Too many lives – in Ukraine, in Europe and around the world – are
being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy. We need to
work together to end this once and for all.
In her first week in office, the Prime Minister took
comprehensive action to help the people of the UK struggling with
the cost of living as a result of global headwinds caused by
Russia’s war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid.
This included the creation of a new Energy Supply Taskforce which
is working with international gas suppliers to increase the
global supply and reduce the price of gas.
The UK is also speeding up our deployment of clean and renewable
technologies including hydrogen, solar, carbon capture and
storage, and wind – where the UK is already a world-leader in
offshore generation.
