LONDON (Reuters) – New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday in London to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and the future of the defence alliance, Sunak’s office said.
Stoltenberg is the first international leader to visit Sunak in Downing Street, and the meeting comes as Britain looks to update its Integrated Review of defence priorities as the government mulls spending cuts.
“NATO is the cornerstone of our security, and the security of our allies. As the war in Ukraine continues to rage, we must not take peace at home for granted,” Sunak said in a statement.
“I am determined the UK will be the bedrock of NATO for generations to come. But in order to face the challenges future we must evolve as an alliance to meet, and remain ahead of, the threat from our adversaries.”
Sunak became British prime minister two weeks ago, and has said Britain will continue its strong support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in February.
The government said it would deliver a further 12,000 extreme cold weather sleeping kits to Ukraine as winter sets in.
“Alongside our training programme and the provision of lethal aid, it demonstrates our commitment to making sure that the basic Ukrainian soldier is well trained, well equipped and given the best possible chance to fight,” defence minister Ben Wallace said.
Britain is a major contributor to the NATO defence alliance, but public finances are under pressure.
The government will lay out spending cuts and tax rises in a budget on Nov. 17, and Wallace has declined to say if it will stick to a target to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Michael Holden)
