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Rishi Sunak will call on businesses and investors to “match Ukraine’s bravery on the battlefield” by stepping up support for the country’s economic recovery.
The prime minister will urge the private sector to “help the country rebuild and recover” in an effort to create a “financially stronger, technologically advanced Ukraine”.
Mr Sunak will address more than 1,000 foreign dignitaries from 61 states at the Ukraine Recovery Conference next week – the largest international conference to be hosted by the UK this year.
The audience will also contain business chiefs and global investors.
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the event virtually, and both the European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are also expected to speak.
The prime minister will make the case for greater innovation in providing support for the country, which was becoming a major player in the global IT industry before Russia’s full-blown invasion in February 2022.
Downing Street said one initiative that will be announced at the summit is a digital platform to connect Ukrainian businesses with global companies.
The matchmaking platform is intended to support Ukraine’s recovery through virtual networking and collaboration on matters such as supply-chain issues and business expansion.
The prime minister will urge the private sector to ‘help Ukraine rebuild and recover’
(Getty)
The UK will also launch a £10m “green energy challenge” fund aimed at speeding up the development of low-carbon, affordable energy projects for Ukraine.
Mr Sunak is expected to say: “Ukraine’s bravery on the battlefield must be matched by the vision of the private sector to help the country rebuild and recover. Time and time again, Ukraine has shown its ability to rapidly harness innovation and creativity, and I know its recovery will be no different.
“The illegal invasion of Ukraine has devastated businesses and livelihoods throughout the country, but it has not destroyed the ingenuity or determination of the Ukrainian people.
“A financially stronger, technologically advanced Ukraine will bolster its ability to drive Russia back behind its borders and build a brighter future for a sovereign and modern Ukraine of the future.”
Last month, the prime minister said Britain would “never waver” in its support of Ukraine.
Speaking at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Mr Sunak said: “The G7 stands united with the people of Ukraine, in the face of a terrible onslaught. And it demonstrates that brute force and oppression will not triumph over freedom and sovereignty.
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“From providing Challenger tanks to long-range missiles and pilot training, the UK’s support for Ukraine’s defence will never waver.”
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