Sunak says Ukraine's victory "is the only result that will protect the future of Europe"

Stresses that the Russian invasion is "a grotesque insult to shared values"

BAKU, March 9. (From the special envoy of Europa Press, Borja Aranda) -

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, has affirmed this Thursday that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is "a grotesque insult to shared values" and has stressed that a victory for Kiev in the war is "the only result that will protect the future of Europe".

"Nation states must be free, free to decide their own destinies, to achieve their potential. The Russian invasion of Ukraine seeks to crush this freedom," Sunak said in a message read by the British ambassador to Azerbaijan, Fergus Auld, at the framework of the opening day of the X Global Forum in Baku, organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

Thus, he stressed that "the United Kingdom will continue to support a free Ukraine" and pointed out that "the only result that will protect the future of Europe and the principles of freedom and sovereignty is a Ukrainian victory."

Sunak has lamented that "thousands of lives have been lost and millions have been damaged in a desperate and failed attempt to subjugate a sovereign nation" and has denounced that "by facing the extraordinary resilience of the Ukrainian population and its own military failures , Russia has cynically aimed its fire at civilian infrastructure."

The 'premier' has also praised "Azerbaijan's contribution to collective security" and has argued that European countries "are putting an end to Russia's ability to use energy supplies to control and manipulate."

"Now there are two imperatives: reliable energy supplies at an affordable price and the transition away from fossil fuels that damage our climate," explained Sunak, who stressed that "the possibility of Azerbaijan supplying renewable energy through of the Black Sea represents a brighter future".

Shortly before, the Azeri president, Ilham Aliyev, had indicated that Baku "has substantially increased its gas supply to Europe" since the outbreak of the war. Likewise, he has said that the Azerbaijani authorities "are working for the expansion of gas pipelines for export.

In this sense, Sunak has expressed his wish that "the green transformation can be accelerated, in parallel with the expansion of gas supply through the southern corridor", while asserting that "British companies and institutions will continue to be key partners in the energy transition of Azerbaijan".

On the other hand, he has shown his "pride" in the fact that "the United Kingdom continues to support women and civil society organizations that play a crucial role in revitalizing communities in the territories recovered by Azerbaijan" after the conflict in 2020 with Armenia.

"British experts will work alongside yours while they work in resettlement areas to make them safe from mines and unexploded ordnance," he said, in a message to the Azeri authorities, which he also encouraged to "sign key documents on non-proliferation, such as the Ottawa Treaty", which includes a ban on anti-personnel mines.