Rishi Sunak meets Volodymyr Zelensky during his first visit to Ukraine as Prime Minister

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Rishi Sunak traveled to Ukraine to meet with its President, Volodymyr Zelensky, and confirm a major new air defense package for the war-torn country. The visit is Mr Sunak's first since becoming prime minister and follows in the footsteps of his predecessor Boris Johnson, who developed a personal friendship with the Ukrainian leader.

Mr. Sunak told Mr Zelensky that Britain knew 'what it means to fight for freedom' and would be with him and his citizens 'all the way'.

The £50million package includes 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter drones supplied by Iran, Number 10 said. It follows the supply of more than 1,000 new anti-aircraft missiles, announced by the Secretary of Defense earlier this month.

The UK is also stepping up its training offer to the Ukrainian armed forces, including by sending army doctors and engineers to the region.

Last week, the Ukraine says Russia has carried out more than 148 missile strikes on critical infrastructure, leaving around 10 million people without power.

In Kyiv, the Prime Minister laid flowers at a war memorial and lit a candle for victims of the Holodomor famine in the 1930s, before meeting with relief workers at a barracks in firefighters. There he heard of their work fighting fires and rescuing survivors from the rubble after Russian airstrikes and mortar attacks.

Mr Sunak's commitment marks a continuation of the supportive stance taken by Mr Johnson and Liz Truss during her short time in Downing Street.

At the end of his tenure, Mr Johnson was widely mocked amid claims that he would use official phone calls with the Ukrainian leader to try to boost his own popularity at home.

Earlier this week, Mr. Sunak spoke at the G20 summit in Bali, urging other world leaders to take a tougher line against Russian aggression. He said the UK would continue to help Ukrainians defend themselves and help ensure that Kyiv was in a position of strength when it decided the time was right for peace talks.

He told reporters traveling with him in Bali that it was "revealing" that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had skipped the world leaders' summit.

"Russia...

Rishi Sunak meets Volodymyr Zelensky during his first visit to Ukraine as Prime Minister
IndyEatSign up for Inside Politics email for your briefing free daily on the biggest stories in British politicsGet our free Inside Politics emailPlease enter a valid email addressPlease enter a valid email addressI would like to be notified by email about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice{{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}An error has occurred. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Rishi Sunak traveled to Ukraine to meet with its President, Volodymyr Zelensky, and confirm a major new air defense package for the war-torn country. The visit is Mr Sunak's first since becoming prime minister and follows in the footsteps of his predecessor Boris Johnson, who developed a personal friendship with the Ukrainian leader.

Mr. Sunak told Mr Zelensky that Britain knew 'what it means to fight for freedom' and would be with him and his citizens 'all the way'.

The £50million package includes 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter drones supplied by Iran, Number 10 said. It follows the supply of more than 1,000 new anti-aircraft missiles, announced by the Secretary of Defense earlier this month.

The UK is also stepping up its training offer to the Ukrainian armed forces, including by sending army doctors and engineers to the region.

Last week, the Ukraine says Russia has carried out more than 148 missile strikes on critical infrastructure, leaving around 10 million people without power.

In Kyiv, the Prime Minister laid flowers at a war memorial and lit a candle for victims of the Holodomor famine in the 1930s, before meeting with relief workers at a barracks in firefighters. There he heard of their work fighting fires and rescuing survivors from the rubble after Russian airstrikes and mortar attacks.

Mr Sunak's commitment marks a continuation of the supportive stance taken by Mr Johnson and Liz Truss during her short time in Downing Street.

At the end of his tenure, Mr Johnson was widely mocked amid claims that he would use official phone calls with the Ukrainian leader to try to boost his own popularity at home.

Earlier this week, Mr. Sunak spoke at the G20 summit in Bali, urging other world leaders to take a tougher line against Russian aggression. He said the UK would continue to help Ukrainians defend themselves and help ensure that Kyiv was in a position of strength when it decided the time was right for peace talks.

He told reporters traveling with him in Bali that it was "revealing" that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had skipped the world leaders' summit.

"Russia...

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