Rishi Sunak will voluntarily advise Ukraine on economic matters. Representatives from the World Bank, Siemens, and BlackRock participated in the first meeting of the international advisory council.
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been appointed as an advisor to the Ukrainian government on issues of economic recovery. This follows documents published on Friday, February 27, on the UK government's website, reports DW.
Sunak has taken on the role of advisor to the International Advisory Council for the Economic Recovery of Ukraine under President Volodymyr Zelensky on a voluntary basis. The council will allocate a group of experts to advise Zelensky and his economic advisor - former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Sunak: "The West Needs a Strong Ukraine"
Rishi Sunak stated that he was "honored" to support Ukraine during his time as Prime Minister and praised Zelensky for the Ukrainian people’s "courage, strength, and ingenuity in their resistance in this war."
"The West needs a strong Ukraine, and a strong Ukraine needs a strong economy," he added. "I am confident that Ukraine - with its human capital, natural resources, and culture of innovation - can become one of the most dynamic economies in Europe."
Sunak participated in the first meeting of the council on February 26, along with other international figures, including World Bank President Ajay Banga and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development President Odile Renaud-Basso. Representatives from companies such as Siemens, BlackRock, Citigroup, and ArcelorMittal also attended the meeting.
Energy and Investments
Volodymyr Zelensky, in his post on the social network X, stated that the group discussed "strengthening Ukraine's energy resilience" ahead of the next winter, as well as "broader opportunities for investments," including in the country's defense industry. Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have become a serious issue in recent months - Kyiv accuses Moscow of attempting to "turn cold into a weapon" in a country where temperatures regularly drop significantly below zero, notes the dpa agency.
"Thank you to the representatives for supporting Ukraine throughout all these years of full-scale Russian aggression. Even during the war, after such a winter, our country is alive," Zelensky stated. "We are open to partnerships, joint projects, investments that will support our people and our security."
Zelensky also thanked Sunak for his support, noting that with such friends, Ukraine is confident in victory.
Sunak's New Role
The role of advisor to Ukraine is the latest in a series of appointments for Sunak following his departure from the premiership. Remaining a member of parliament for the Richmond and Northallerton constituency in northern England, he is consulting for Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the artificial intelligence company Anthropic.
In addition, he is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California, holds unpaid positions at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum and the Blavatnik School of Government, writes a column for the Sunday Times, and co-leads a charitable foundation in mathematical education with his wife Akshata Murthy. A significant portion of the income from his non-parliamentary activities is donated to charity.
Rishi Sunak served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 2022 to July 2024. He became the youngest Prime Minister in modern British history - at the time of his appointment, he was 42 years old.
