Ukraine: London Leads the Anti-Russia Pack

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak touts himself on being the staunchest supporter in the West of President Zelenskyy and his regime. Thus, when he was in Kiev on Jan. 12, he promised the Ukrainian President all he wanted, and then some. The two leaders signed a “historic” security cooperation agreement: “The totemic agreement is intended to be the first step in developing an unshakable hundred-year partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom”, according to the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office.

The new document, it states, “formalizes a range of support the U.K. has been and will continue to provide for Ukraine’s security, including intelligence sharing, cyber security, medical and military training, and defense industrial cooperation”.  Further, “It also commits the U.K. to consult with Ukraine in the event it is ever attacked by Russia again, and to provide ‘swift and sustained’ assistance for their defense.”

British military support to the regime is set to go to £2.5 billion in 2024 and 2025, an increase of £200 million over the previous two years. At  the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting on Jan. 10, the alliance’s member countries pledged to “continue to provide Ukraine with major military, economic, and humanitarian assistance”, according to the NATO communique, but it remains to be seen how much of that pledge is kept. The United States, in any case, despite all its tough rhetoric, is unlikely to make any major commitments in a presidential election year.