Britain’s Prime Minister has urged allies to “go after” Iran’s ability to supply weapons to Russia that are killing civilians.
Speaking at a summit in Riga, Rishi Sunak condemned the Tehran regime, which has sent more than 500 kamikaze drones to Russia. They have been used in deadly attacks on Ukraine’s people and energy supply.
He also warned that the “economic consequences” for Russia must continue to be “severe”, particularly with the new oil price cap set by the G7.
Mr Sunak used Monday's meeting of northern European allies in Latvia to call on his counterparts to sustain or increase their assistance to Ukraine against Russian invasion, that included a clamp down on Tehran's arms supplies.
“We must continue to focus on degrading Russia’s capability to regroup and to resupply and that means going after its supply chains and removing the international support," he said.
“Particularly I’m thinking of Iran and the weapons that it is currently providing to Russia, which we should be very strong about calling out as we have done in the United Nations."
The UK has announced hundreds of thousands more rounds of artillery ammunition as part of its package of military aid for 2023 under a £250 million contract.
At the meeting in Riga on Monday, the members of the Joint Expeditionary Force discussed Ukraine’s defence needs while seeking to accelerate their own co-operation.
Following the gathering, which was addressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Sunak met Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins.
Ukraine war latest - in pictures
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The coffin of Valeriy Krasnyan is brought out of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv. Getty Images -
Repairmen work near a residential building damaged following a missile attack in Vyshgorod, outside of Kyiv. AFP -
An elderly man walks in front of a residential building damaged following a missile attack in Vyshgorod. AFP -
A boy kisses a dog while he charges his phone at the heating tent dubbed a Point of Invincibly in Bucha, Ukraine. AP -
A couple uses a laptop in the heating tent. AP -
Workers dig out a tire from the rubble of a destroyed storage building at a grain processing center so they can use it for repairs in Siversk, Donetsk region. Reuters -
The Chernihiv region found itself on the frontline of Russia's invasion in February, when Moscow's forces were attempting to quickly seize Kyiv. Getty -
Russia ultimately retreated from northern Ukraine to focus its attack on the east and south. Getty -
The city of Chernihiv on November 28, 2022 in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Getty -
A worker fits in new windows of a building in Chernihiv. Getty -
People receive food from AFAT - Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency in Chernihiv. Getty -
The people Chernihiv queue up for hot food. Getty -
Oleksandr Antonenko stands on a balcony of his apartment damaged by a recent Russian military strike in Kherson. Reuters -
Mr Antonenko and his mother Liudmyla inside their apartment recently damaged by a Russian military strike in Kherson. Reuters -
A woman walks in an underpass in Kyiv, on November 26, 2022. AFP -
Friends hug after the arrival of a train in the southern city of Kherson. Getty -
Residents sort through donated clothing at an aid centre in Kherson. Getty -
A Ukrainian soldier stands with a machinegun near Liman in the Donetsk region. AP -
Children attend a physical education class at Spilno School in Kyiv. Getty -
A woman embraces her friend, a soldier in the Ukrainian army, in Kherson. AFP -
Residents inspect a crater left by a Russian military strike in the village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. Reuters -
Resident Tetiana Reznychenko walks past a work by world-renowned graffiti artist Banksy, on the wall of a destroyed building in the Ukrainian village of Horenka. Reuters -
Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery at Russian positions near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. AP -
A fisherman sails his boat on the Dnipro as black smoke rises from an oil reserve in Kherson. AFP
In Estonia, he will meet UK and Nato troops serving on alliance’s eastern flank.
A new digital partnership, which Mr Sunak will sign with Ms Kallas, will involve the strengthening of ties across health, education, cyber security, data and connectivity.
“From the Arctic Circle to the Isle of Wight, the UK and our European allies have been in lockstep in our response to the invasion of Ukraine, and we remain steadfast in our ambition for peace in Europe once again," Mr Sunak said.
“But to achieve peace, we must deter aggression and our deployments across the region together are vital in ensuring we are able to respond to the gravest of threats.
Ukraine becomes dark patch in night satellite images - in pictures
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A satellite image showing the night radiance of Europe from space on November 23 shows Ukraine in almost total darkness. Photo: Nasa -
People walking in the dark city centre of Kyiv which lost electrical power after Russian rocket attacks. AP -
A man using a head torch to make his way around Kyiv. AP -
An unlit street following missile strikes in Kyiv. Getty Images -
People charge their devices using a power generator in Kyiv. EPA -
Since October, Russia has launched regular strikes on the Ukrainian power grid. AP -
People sit in candlelight in Lviv. Reuters
“I know this Joint Expeditionary Force summit will only underline our close friendships and unwavering support for Ukraine.”
The JEF alliance includes Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.
