The prime minister will use a London summit to call on investors to match Ukraine’s “bravery on the battlefield” by stepping up support for the country’s economic recovery.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend virtually and both European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are expected to speak in the opening session.
Rishi Sunak will say Ukraine’s economic recovery is just as important as its military strategy at the Ukraine Recovery Conference which begins on Wednesday – the largest international conference the UK will host this year.
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The prime minister is also set to say the private sector must use its vision to “embrace rapid innovation” that can be used to make the nation “financially stronger” and “technologically advanced”, No 10 said.
He is expected to make the case for greater innovation targeted at Ukraine, which was becoming a major player in the global IT industry prior to the Russian invasion.
No 10 said one example of such an approach which is expected to be announced at the summit is a digital platform that will connect Ukrainian businesses with global companies.
The match-making platform is aimed at supporting Ukraine’s recovery through virtual networking and collaboration on matters such as supply chain issues and business expansion.
The UK will also use the summit to launch a £10m “green energy challenge” fund aimed at speeding up the development of low-carbon, affordable energy projects for Ukraine.
More than 1,000 foreign dignitaries from 61 states along with business chiefs and global investors will join Mr Sunak at the conference.
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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.”
