The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned Vladimir Putin that his strategy of trying to wait it out is “not going to work” as Ukraine will receive support from the West “for years to come.”
Speaking at a Q&A at the London Defence Conference in Bush House, Sunak said that one of Putin’s “great miscalculations” was assume the war would fragment Western allies.
In the approach to China Sunak said that during the G7 there was a “consistency” and that Beijing’s rise represents an “epoch-defining challenge” to the West.
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Sunak added, “It is a country that has both the means and the intent to reshape the global order.
“It’s behaviour is increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad and in light of that we do need to take the steps to protect ourselves.”
The Prime Minister said that a “particularly robust approach” must be taken in “a limited number of very sensitive sectors” such as semiconductors and quantum.
Sunak added, that “this is not an excuse for a blanket descent into protectionism,” then warned that the move could harm the collective security.
Sunak was asked if Britain needs to find an industrial strategy, he replied, “subsidy races that essentially just shift industrial capacity between allies in some kind of zero-sum competition are not appropriate.”
Adding, “And we shouldn’t be doing things at the expense of each other. That’s not improving our collective security.”
Switching back to the conversation on Ukraine Sunak said it is quite clear that G7 leaders are “united” to support Kyiv.
In a message to Putin Sunak said, “It’s simple. We’re not going away.”
He added, “Making clear to Russia that that support will be coming to Ukraine for years to come,” he then warned Putin that his “waiting it out strategy is not going to work.”
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