Rishi Sunak to set out pragmatic approach to Russia and China

Rishi Sunak will pledge an "Evolutionary approach" to British foreign policy, arguing that states like Russia and China plan for the long term and the UK needs to follow suit as he attempts to set out his vision for the country's place on the global stage. Sunak, who has met international partners including the US president, Joe Biden, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, during his first month in office, as well as travelling to Ukraine, is generally regarded at home as lacking a vision on foreign policy. Sunak was chancellor during the pandemic and the early months of the cost of living crisis. China, in particular, represents a challenge for Sunak, as his instincts are softer than those of many Tory MPs and, as chancellor, he sought significantly closer economic ties with Beijing. It will set out the importance of building strong ties in Europe after the UK's departure from the EU, a view expected to be reflected in Sunak's speech. They have never been achieved by standing still," Sunak is expected to say. Sunak, who visited Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week, will underline Britain's continued commitment to Ukraine despite changes in leadership in the UK. While Britain has been at the forefront of the western response to Russian aggression there have been questions domestically over whether Sunak could maintain the commitment to defence spending.