Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised that Ukraine will be “top of my agenda” at this week’s G20 summit in Brazil, as world leaders gather almost 1,000 days into Russia’s war. Speaking to reporters en route to Rio de Janeiro, Starmer said there must be “full support for as long as it takes”, citing the deployment of North Korean soldiers as a particularly disturbing development.
Starmer will meet leaders including China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi and outgoing US President Joe Biden. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declined to attend, sending Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead. Starmer said he had “no plans to speak to Putin”, following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent call with the Russian leader.
The summit comes amid deep divisions over Ukraine and an air of impotency given Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House. Overnight, Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine’s energy grid, the biggest attack since August. Starmer denied the G20 was futile, stressing the importance of growing the UK economy and securing inward investment.
“We’re meeting the biggest economies in the world… my number-one mission is to grow our economy,” Starmer said. He added that security issues, particularly Ukraine, were “well worth” pursuing at the summit.
