UK Prime Minister Pressures Russia Over "Barbaric War"... Moderates Tone Toward China

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pressured Russia at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit. However, he toned down his language toward China.

According to the BBC and others, on the 15th (local time), Prime Minister Sunak attended the G20 summit held in Bali, Indonesia, and demanded that Russia end its "barbaric" war.

He stated that Russian forces must withdraw from Ukraine immediately, and the UK will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary. He said the invasion of Ukraine undermines the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and shakes the international order, sending an important message to everyone, including neutral countries such as China and India.

However, he showed a more conciliatory attitude toward China. He expressed hope to have a dialogue with Xi Jinping during the G20 summit. He also emphasized that without dialogue with China, common challenges such as climate change, public health, and the Ukraine war cannot be resolved.

Initially, Prime Minister Sunak told reporters on the plane to Bali that China is a systemic threat to the UK's values and interests and the greatest national threat to economic security.

When asked whether the UK should send weapons to Taiwan, he replied, "Our Taiwan policy is that there should be no unilateral change of status and that a peaceful solution must be found," adding, "We are also prepared to help Taiwan as if responding to a Chinese attack."

On the same day, Sunak announced a contract to place an additional order for five naval warships from defense contractor BAE Systems for ?4.2 billion (approximately 6.5 trillion KRW) to counter the Russian threat. Three ships are already under construction. The Prime Minister's Office stated that all eight Type 26 destroyers could be acquired by the mid-2030s.

On the plane to Bali, he told the press, "We have actively invested in defense not only now but also in the past and prioritized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)," adding, "People will be completely confident that we are investing in defense."

Meanwhile, Sunak, who is of Indian descent, held his first meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at this summit. He also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and proposed cooperation to stabilize the oil market.

The Prime Minister's Office added that Sunak said further progress on social reforms such as women's rights and freedoms is important.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.