Vladimir Putin’s regime “will hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions”, Rishi Sunak has warned as it prepares for the first day of the G20 summit.
The British Prime Minister will meet leaders of the world’s 19 largest economies in Bali – the first meeting in the group’s 15-year history to be held in the shadow of a major European war sparked by one of his members.
Russia invaded Ukraine nearly nine months ago, leaving the rest of the world struggling to cope with the fallout, including rising food and energy prices.
But many countries have stood firm, backing Ukraine with arms and aid, while imposing various sanctions on Russia.
Mr Sunak will use the summit to push the world’s most powerful economies to do more to reduce their reliance on Russian exports, while helping others do the same.
He said: “There can be no normalization of Putin’s behavior, which has no place in the international community.
“Russia’s actions put us all at risk.
“As we provide the Ukrainian people with the support they need, we are also harnessing the breadth and depth of British expertise to protect ourselves and our allies.
“This includes building the next generation of British warships.
“Putin and his proxies will never have a legitimate seat at the table until they end their illegal war in Ukraine.
“At the G20, Putin’s regime – which has stifled national dissent and fabricated a veneer of validity solely through violence – will hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions.”
Read more:
Rishi Sunak dodges 3% defense spending pledge – but points to investment ‘track record’
The G20 is Rishi Sunak’s first big moment on the state of the world – but it’s not his real test
During the first day of the G20 summit, Mr Sunak is expected to address a session on food and energy security, before a session on health, and a meeting with the representative of Saudi Arabia.
The UK last week introduced legislation to prevent countries from using its shipping services to transport Russian oil unless it was bought below a price cap – which No 10 has described as a “hugely influential measure, given that the UK provides around 60% of the world’s marine insurance”.
Mr Sunak will also reiterate the UK’s financial support for Ukraine, saying he committed £4.1billion in aid when he was chancellor.
This included £2.3billion in military aid and Mr Sunak will promise to match that level of spending next year.
Click to subscribe to Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
Meanwhile, to bolster UK defence, Mr Sunak announced the next phase of the Type 26 frigate programme, with a £4.2billion contract awarded to BAE Systems to build five more ships for the Royal Navy, in addition to the three already under construction. .
No 10 said the project would support 1,700 jobs at BAE Systems sites in Govan and Scotstoun in Glasgow over the next decade, with 2,300 supply chain jobs supported across the UK, although it was not specified how many of these jobs would be new. .
