Truss 'not prepared' for UK direct involvement in Ukraine
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UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says it is inappropriate to send the Royal Navy to the Black Sea to escort grain ships, as Ukraine is not a NATO member state.
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UK Foreign Secretary and premiership candidate Liz Truss (Reuters)
UK Foreign Secretary and premiership candidate Liz Truss claimed that she is not ready for the UK to be openly involved in the Ukraine war, considering it inappropriate to send the Royal Navy to the Black Sea to escort grain ships.
"I am not prepared for the UK to become directly involved in the conflict. We have done as much as we can. We were the first country to send weapons to the Ukraine," Truss said during a televised debate organized by BBC.
The Foreign Secretary explained that the UK provides naval insurance services for Ukrainian grain transport, while Ukraine is not a NATO member state.
In the same context, Truss' rival, Conservative British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, stressed that London will continue supporting Kiev "regardless of who becomes the Prime Minister."
Sunak claimed that it is crucial to declare China "a threat" to the UK’s national and economic security, stressing that London must defend itself from Beijing’s alleged attempts to infiltrate British companies and steal their technologies.
However, Truss noted that Sunak called for closer ties with China just one month ago, saying the UK must not fall into strategic dependence on Beijing.
The UK Foreign Secretary claimed that China "effectively supports Russia" in the Ukraine war, stressing that a harsher position toward Beijing is necessary.
It is noteworthy that had revealed that she did not support London's direct military involvement in Ukraine.
"We are doing all we can to support Ukraine. We've led the international coalition on sending weapons. We're putting the sanctions in place, but I do not support the direct involvement of UK troops," Truss said in response to a question she was asked during a BBC Radio interview on how she would support the use of British forces in Ukraine if she becomes Prime Minister.
Johnson's indirect support of Truss
It is worth noting that Conservative rivals Sunak and Truss now take their case to Conservative party members, who will decide the new leader and prime minister after a series of nationwide hustings in August. The result will be announced on September 5.
Sunak's resignation as Finance Minister this month helped to topple outgoing leader Boris Johnson after months of scandal including "Partygate".
Johnson had announced that he would step down after a slew of resignations hit his government earlier this month in protest of his leadership. He will, however, stay as Prime Minister until a replacement is found.
In a hint of support for Truss's low-tax platform, Johnson urged his successor to "cut taxes and deregulate where you can to make this the greatest place to live and invest."
Truss tweeted that she was "ready to hit the ground running from day one."
But whoever wins the Tory race "like some household detergent, would wipe the floor" with the main opposition Labour party, Johnson predicted.
