Nova Khakovka: ‘New low’ if Russia behind dam assault – Rishi Sunak

The prime minister mentioned Russia would have hit “new lows” if it seems that Moscow is answerable for what he described as the most important assault on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine because the begin of the battle, following the destruction of a important dam.

Speaking en path to Washington, Rishi Sunak instructed reporters that the intelligence businesses had but to make a definitive judgement on whether or not President Putin was behind the “appalling attack” on the Nova Kakhova dam as he condemned the incident.

“If it’s intentional, it would represent, I think, the largest attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine since the start of the war, and just demonstrate the new lows that we would have seen from Russian aggression,” he instructed the press forward of his two-day journey to Washington.

War newest: US working to share intel on dam catastrophe

“Attacks on civilian infrastructure are appalling and wrong. We’ve seen previous instances of that in this conflict so far, but it’s too early to say definitively.”

The prime minister additionally mentioned that the UK’s instant response to this assault was to supply humanitarian help.

“We had already put resources and funding in place to support both the UN and the Red Cross to respond to situations like this,” he mentioned. “And they are now being able to divert those resources to particularly help humanitarian response and the evacuation in this area as a result of what’s happened.”

As with the G7 in Japan however two weeks in the past, the matter of Ukraine and the way Western allies can finest assist Kyiv in its battle in opposition to Russia will probably be a central a part of discussions between the UK and US leaders when Mr Sunak holds bi-lateral talks within the Oval Office on Thursday.

“One of the things the prime minister and President Biden will discuss is how we can sustain the huge level of global support for Ukraine while providing them with the capabilities they need, including air defence,” the prime minister’s spokesperson mentioned forward of the journey.

These discussions come as allies intensify assist earlier than Ukraine’s anticipated summer time counteroffensive.

A giant breakthrough got here on the G7 final month when the US signalled it and allies would supply coaching and F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, a request President Zelenskyy hammered residence to allies for months earlier than the US moved.

Read extra:
Analysis: Dam assault might be most damaging single occasion of Ukraine battle up to now
US intelligence “leaning towards” Moscow being behind
Kyiv launches ‘offensive actions’ on frontline

Number 10 is eager to emphasize not simply the Rishi Sunak reset after the testy period of the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss reigns, however the strengthening of relations between the US and UK beneath a Sunak premiership.

In his favour has been the decision with the EU over post-Brexit buying and selling preparations in Northern Ireland, and Mr Sunak’s steadfast assist for Ukraine.

And this can definitely be a visit filled with photo-ops to bolster the “special relationship”. As nicely as the pictures of the prime minister on Capitol Hill and within the Oval Office completed off with a White House press convention, Mr Sunak may also attend the Washington Nationals baseball recreation because the visitor of honour to have a good time the annual UK-US friendship day – though he will not be throwing the ceremonial first pitch, as an alternative leaving that job to a British veteran.

A first-rate minister with a background in finance and an curiosity in tech – he met his spouse in California whereas learning at Stanford – Mr Sunak is making an attempt to play to his strengths along with his emphasis on larger financial interoperability and deeper commerce ties, whereas additionally making a pitch to President Biden to get the UK extra deeply concerned within the regulation of AI.

But as he tries to forge a post-Brexit place on this planet for the UK – Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s management on Ukraine an undoubted constructive – London is deprived: When it involves AI, it’s the US, China and the EU at the forefront with the UK largely on the sidelines.

When it involves commerce, the Biden administration has put the much-vaunted US-UK free commerce deal into the deep freeze, a lot in order that neither facet plan to even increase it in these bilateral talks.

While Mr Sunak will use the journey to attempt to drum up extra US funding, with an announcement of £14bn of US backing into the UK and an handle to the “business roundtable chief executive” discussion board, the absence of any commerce deal is one other damaged Conservative manifesto promise.

Mr Johnson and his authorities had championed a US commerce deal as a giant Brexit bonus, whereas President Trump insisted in 2017 the UK was “at the front of the queue”.

It now seems that President Obama’s “back of the queue” warning forward of the 2016 EU referendum is extra apposite, with no timeline as to when, if ever, a bilateral commerce deal will probably be dusted down.

“Neither side is pursuing a US free trade deal currently, but our trading relationship with the US is vital,” the prime minister’s spokesperson mentioned.

Trade between the international locations now stands at £279bn a yr. Back in 2020, authorities evaluation urged a commerce deal may improve commerce – which then stood at £221bn – by £15.8bn and likewise mentioned wages may get a long-term bounce value £1.8bn from a US deal.

On Artificial Intelligence, the PM needs to take a lead in setting a regulatory framework, one thing he has raised because the G7, however post-Brexit, the UK has been locked out of key boards between the EU and The US the place AI governance plans are negotiated on a bilateral foundation. Britain’s requests for the same dialogue with Washington have been repeatedly rebuffed, which has left Mr Sunak pressured to pursue direct channels to president Biden, which he’ll do that week.

The PM hopes to make the UK the venue for a global summit on generative AI summit later within the yr, and can be pushing for a brand new inter-governmental regulator for this rising know-how to be based mostly within the UK.

And some do see a post-Brexit alternative for Britain, providing the US a extra versatile center floor between the EU and US method to requirements and rules, whereas additionally being probably harder on Beijing than Brussels is perhaps.

AI might be a coverage space the place the UK may act as a transatlantic bridge between the US and Europe – if Mr Sunak can land it.

Darren Jones, chair of the enterprise choose committee, mentioned a “key test” for the PM will probably be to “successfully pitch the UK as a useful partner that offers a different approach to the EU. Failure will leave us out of the room, not at the table and out in the cold.”

For the Prime Minister, the proceed deal with Ukraine amplifies a world problem by which the UK has been capable of exhibit robust management put up Brexit, and declare the US can work collectively on constructing stronger ties on commerce and regulating AI.

But with no commerce deal in sight, and even on the horizon, and struggling to insert the Uk into the EU-US discussions on AI, he actually does have his work lower out.