British PM arrives in Paris for summit with Macron and marks clear divide from Boris Johnson’s stance
The war in Ukraine will end at the negotiating table, Rishi Sunak has said, as he vowed to support Volodymyr Zelenskiy to be in the “best possible place to have those talks”.
While
the prime minister indicated that now is not the time for those peace
talks, he recommitted to providing additional support to Ukraine to ensure they have an advantage on the battlefield.
Sunak’s
comments on his way to the first UK-France summit in five years, marked
a clear divide in stance on how the war against Russia will end from
that of his predecessor Boris Johnson. The former prime minister heaped
pressure on Sunak, urging the UK to send jets and tanks to help Ukraine
“finish the job”.
Speaking on the Eurostar to Paris hours before meeting his “friend” Emmanuel Macron,
Sunak said: “We’re providing training to use those capabilities. That’s
all under way, as well as just helping defend themselves against the
attacks that they’re facing, particularly on their critical national
infrastructure. Now, that should be everyone’s focus.
“Of
course, this will end as all conflicts do at negotiating table, but
that is a decision for Ukraine to make. And what we need to do is put
them in the best possible place to have those talks at an appropriate
moment that makes sense for them.
“But at the
moment, the priority has got to be giving them the resources the
training and the support they need to push forward and create advantage
on the battlefield.”
The prime minister hopes to start a “new chapter”
in his relationship with France, and believes the nations’ shared
outlook on restoring peace in Ukraine will deepen and strengthen that
relationship.
Over the last few years,
relations between France and Britain were rocky under Johnson’s
leadership, and worsened during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Macron
at one point branded Johnson a “clown”, with the pair sharing infamous
face-to-face meetings including the awkward moment Macron snubbed
Johnson at the extraordinary Nato summit as he decided to greet other
leaders first before the group photo.
While there will be a focus on rebuilding more cordial relations
following tensions over Brexit and the Ukraine war, Sunak is under
domestic pressure to secure a deal on returning people who arrive from
France, and for beefed-up policing of the Channel coast.
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