Ukraine’s military has retaken swaths of occupied territory in the east of the country in recent weeks, forcing Russian troops to retreat. On her first trip abroad as prime minister, Ms Truss is expected to point to this success as proof of what the Ukrainian people can do with the support of gay democracies. Mrs Truss is visiting New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where she will meet Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron as political action resumes after the Queen’s period of national mourning. He is expected to use the trip to underline the UK’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, while stressing the need to break its energy dependence on Russia. When asked what she hoped to take away from her meeting with the US president, she told reporters: “The number one issue is global security – making sure we’re able to collectively counter Russian aggression and make sure Ukraine prevails and Putin doesn’t. is successful in Ukraine. “(It’s a) huge priority for European security as well as making sure we work together with other G7 members to make sure we’re not strategically dependent on authoritarian regimes. That’s the priority.” The UK is already the second largest military donor to Ukraine, pledging £2.3 billion in 2022, while providing hundreds of missiles, air defense systems and non-lethal military equipment. Read more: UK pledges to send missiles to Kyiv as Russia warns of wider conflict Ahead of the trip, Ms Truss confirmed the UK would match or exceed the amount of military aid spent on the war-torn nation by 2022 next year. He said: “My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your safety is our safety.” The visit comes against a backdrop of Brexit tensions and questions over whether Ms Truss considers the French leader “friend or foe”. Image: Liz Truss and her husband at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Photo: Reuters While he hopes the focus will be largely on energy security and fighting Russia’s war in Ukraine, conflicts over the Northern Ireland Protocol are bound to arise. Truss “wants a constructive relationship with Macron” Mr Biden, the US President of proud Irish heritage, has raised concerns about Brexit’s threat to the peace process and downplayed the chances of a free trade deal. His French counterpart, Mr Macron, has long been a critic of Brexit and has consistently pressed the UK to honor commitments on Northern Ireland and fishing rights. Ms Truss sparked a diplomatic row during the Tory leadership contest when she refused to give a straight answer when asked whether the French president was “friend or foe”. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 1:06 Macron: “We are heading for serious problems” Instead, the then-Secretary of State said the jury is out. When asked on Monday night, ahead of his arrival in the US, about the UK’s relationship with France, particularly regarding Channel migrants, Mr Truss said he wanted to have “a constructive relationship with France ». “Of course that means working together on immigration. There are many other issues that we need to work on together whether it’s energy security, whether it’s other issues related to our relationship with the EU – but most importantly, it’s to make sure Putin doesn’t succeed in Ukraine. “I will discuss this with President Macron.” Read more: What is the Northern Ireland Protocol and why does it matter? Dublin hopes for new offer ‘within weeks’ to end post-Brexit trade deal Fixed discount on business energy bills under Treasury scrutiny Ms Truss will meet Macron and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Tuesday before seeing Biden on Wednesday. Also scheduled are meetings with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Spain’s Pedro Sanchez and Israel’s Yair Lapid. Ms Truss will also deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly where she will say the UK under her leadership will be an “active defender of our democratic values” and work to tackle authoritarianism with allies. The trip kicks off a frenetic few days of political action in Mrs Truss’s newly formed premiership, with details of how businesses will be helped in the energy crisis and a major NHS tariff announcement. Ms Truss, who is accompanied by Secretary of State James Cleverley to the US, will then return ahead of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget on Friday.
