Sunak Pledges More Arms for Ukraine until It Joins NATO

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has agreed with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, but believes until this happens, military aid for Kyiv should be bolstered, Sunak said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

"As Jens Stoltenberg has said, ‘Ukraine will become a member of NATO.’ But until that happens, we need to do more to bolster Ukraine’s long-term security," Sunak said, clarifying that he speaks about "artillery, long-range weapons, armored vehicles, air defense" as well as the training of pilots on the NATO-standard equipment.

"Together we’re delivering as much equipment in the next few months as in the whole of 2022," Sunak said. "We gave ·2.3 billion ($2.8 billion - TASS) last year - and we will match or exceed that in 2023.

Sunak called for a new framework for Ukraine's long-term security to hold Russia accountable and added that they should consider "how to ensure that Russia pays for reconstruction".

Sunak asserts that his country will be the first country to supply long-range weapons to Ukraine and acknowledged that Kyiv could use them to drive Russian forces out of territories lost to Ukraine, including Crimea.

"There are things that Ukraine needs to gain that decisive advantage on the battlefield. That is why the provision of heavy tanks was so important, so our air defenses are absolutely critical. You are right to mention artillery, and longer-range weapons also help. Those are all the things that will allow Ukraine to defend itself and repel Russian aggression, and indeed to have a counteroffensive that moves Russia outside of its own country," he said when asked whether he would approve of sending long-range missiles to Ukraine that can target Crimea.