Boris Johnson, The UK Prime Minister has told French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit in Germany on Sunday 26th June, that the West needs to keep arming Ukraine instead of seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Kiev and Moscow.
According to a British Government statement on the meeting, Boris Johnson stressed any attempt to settle the conflict now will only cause enduring instability and give Putin licence to manipulate both sovereign countries and international markets in perpetuity.
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The two leaders agreed that the crisis in Ukraine was at a critical moment, and that there is an opportunity to turn the tide in the war and both the Prime Minister and President Macron stressed the need to support Ukraine to strengthen their hand in both the war and any future negotiations, according to the statement.
Boris Johnson reiterated the discussions with Emmanuel Macron in a tweet on Sunday;
We must support Ukraine to strengthen their hand in both the war and any future negotiations.
President @EmmanuelMacron and I agreed to step up our military support for Ukraine at this critical moment, and to enhance Anglo-French cooperation on defence and security.
🇬🇧🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/VPcVZgM9dj
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 26, 2022
Johnson took a similar stance at a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday. “Ukraine is on a knife-edge and we need to tip the balance of the war in their favor. That means providing Ukraine with the defensive capabilities, training and intelligence they need to repel the Russian advance,” a statement from Downing Street read.
Ahead of the summit, London pledged an additional £429 million ($525 million) in guarantees for World Bank loans in 2022 as a form of financial assistance to Kiev. According to Downing Street, the UK’s total financial support for Ukraine, including loan guarantees, amounted to £1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) and the combined UK economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine amounted to £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) this year.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
