NATO summit 2023: what did UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak say about Ukraine at meeting in Lithuania

World leaders have gathered in Lithuania today (11 July) as the 2023 NATO summit begins in Vilnius.

Among those in attendance was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. The pair flew to attend the three-day summit on Tuesday 11 July, joining the likes of US President Joe Biden to discuss the biggest issues facing the group.

With no surprise, the biggest talking points of day one was that of Ukraine and the war with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky also made an appearance as he urged the security alliance to induct Ukraine into the group as soon as possible.

Here's everything you need to know about what Rishi Sunak discussed on Day 1 of the 2023 NATO Summit.

What did Rishi Sunak say about Ukraine at NATO summit?

Ahead of his flight to Vilnius, Sunak told reporters that he was hoping for "demonstrable progress" towards Ukraine's ascension to full NATO member. The country has been attempting to join the alliance, with President Zelensky slamming the "absurd" requirement from the group that Ukraine can join when "conditions are met".

Sunak said “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO”, adding that the cohort was planning to discuss the potential membership during their summit in Lithuania. However, he warned against the group make moves to allow membership during the ongoing war, saying that it was “not a question for right now, whilst they are in the midst of a conflict”.

Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has said that the alliance will make the path to membership easier for Ukraine. However, he echoed the prime minister's sentiment that it was not the right time for Ukraine' to become a full member, saying: "Allies agree when a war is going on that's not the time for making Ukraine a full member of the alliance."

Alongside Ukraine's membership, the prime minister was also keen to discuss additional aid which NATO could provide to Ukraine as the country continues in its fight against Russia. A package is expected to be announced by the end of the event.

What else did Rishi Sunak discuss at the NATO summit 2023?

It was a busy day of diplomatic work for Sunak, who also used his time to discuss other matter on the schedule with his fellow world leaders.

According to his Downing Street spokeswoman, the prime minister spoke to Polish President Andrzej Duda about illegal migration, as well as the conflict in Ukraine. They said: "The Prime Minister and President Duda discussed a number of wider ways the UK and Poland can work together, including on tackling illegal migration. They welcomed the efforts to develop a working arrangement between the UK and Frontex in this respect.”

Sunak also commented on the decision from Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to support Sweden's application to join NATO, and was said to have "commended" the presidents "efforts" to do so during a meeting between the two.

The spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister welcomed Turkey’s support for Sweden’s accession to Nato and commended President Erdogan for his efforts.

“The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring the UK-Turkey relationship reaches its full potential, building on growing trade links and strong defence and security cooperation."

They added that the pair also spoke abut a range of topics including illegal migration and dealing with criminal people smuggling gangs. The spokeswoman continued: “Both leaders agreed to task their foreign ministers to look at areas for closer collaboration on migration and organised crime. The leaders also agreed to deepen intelligence sharing and co-operation on countering terrorism."

Sunak also faced questions from the international media as he landed in Vilnius for the summit over claims that the UK's world power could be diminished if its armed forces "gets smaller". The prime minister responded: “I think the UK should be incredibly proud of the leading role that we play not just in Nato, but across the world in protecting security and indeed in investing in our armed forces.”