Biden, Sunak pledge ongoing Ukraine support

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain on Thursday reiterated their unwavering, indefinite financial support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

“I believe we’ll have the funding necessary to support Ukraine as long as it takes, and I believe that we’re going to, that support will be real,” Biden said during a joint news conference at the White House. “Do we think Russia would stop at Kyiv? Do you think that’s all there would be happening? I think not, and I think the vast majority of my colleagues, even the critics that think that would not be the case as well.”

Despite Biden’s assurances, Republican leadership in Congress has set nondefense spending caps for the next two fiscal years, and it’s unclear whether those budgetary limits will leave enough wiggle room for additional Ukraine aid.

The U.S. has been a key ally for Ukraine throughout the war — which dates back to late February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion — sending tens of billions of dollars in military aid to the country in tandem with European allies. Among the most significant equipment shipped to Kyiv are Patriot air defense systems and Abrams tanks, and Biden last month announced a joint international effort to begin training Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets.

Sunak pointed to Britain’s NATO contributions above their required benchmark as proof that it intends to keep funding Ukraine’s military, and he vowed to keep supporting Ukraine even if other European allies don’t “follow the lead that the U.S. and the U.K. set.”

“We will be here for as long as it takes, and hopefully that will speed up the calculation in [Russian President Vladimir Putin’s] mind that he should withdraw his forces and stop what is an illegal and unprovoked act of aggression,” Sunak said.

When asked whether it was time that NATO elect its first British secretary general in over 20 years, Biden conceded, “Maybe.”

“They have a candidate who is a very qualified individual, but we’re going to have a lot of discussion between us, in NATO, to determine what the outcome of that will be,” Biden said.

And despite Britain’s departure from the EU in 2020, Sunak said that the country would continue to be a contributor “for years to come” in the Ukrainian military effort.

“I know some people have wondered what kind of partner Britain would be after we left the EU,” Sunak said. “I’d say judge us by our actions.”