Rishi Sunak – live: PM insists small boats policy going ‘better than expected’ days after new crossing record

Friday saw record numbers of crossings for this year - with 686 arriving on UK shores

Rishi Sunak welcomes Joe Biden to Downing Street

Rishi Sunak has insisted his crackdown on small boats is going “much better” than expected, despite record numbers of boat crossings.

Speaking to reporters on his way to the Nato summit in Lithuania, the prime minister denied he was wrong to claim his small boats policy was working last month.

It comes after Friday saw record numbers of crossings for this year - with 686 arriving on UK shores.

The prime minister said he had always predicted that the numbers coming to Britain would rise during the summer.

He said his policy had to be judged on the trends when he took office.

“The fact that they (numbers) are down for five months of the year, the fact that they are still down, even if it’s less, than what people are expecting is a much better result than anyone was expecting,” he said.

He added: “We need to get people out of hotels, we need to save the taxpayer billions. We need to get the backlog down. But fundamentally we need to do what it compassionate and fair.”

Key points

• Sunak claims small boats crackdown going ‘much better than expected’ – despite upturn in crossings
• PM heads to Nato summit to urge allies to hike defence spending
• Biden meets Lithuanian President Gitanas ahead of Nato summit

[12 July 2023 15:00 · Rachel Sharp]

Editorial: Ukraine’s place lies in Nato – but the question is still ‘when?’

The war has changed Ukraine... it will never willingly be part of a Russian sphere of influence, let alone a Russian empire

Read more here:

[12 July 2023 15:20 · Rachel Sharp]

WATCH: Zelensky explains why Ukraine cannot be a Nato member

[12 July 2023 15:37 · Oliver O'Connell]

Biden-Zelensky bilateral meeting emphasises continued cooperation as Ukraine awaits Nato membership

President Joe Biden reiterated his earlier comments about Ukraine’s future in a bilateral with President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding praise for the actor-turned-politician who has served as Ukraine’s leader since 2019. Mr Biden said he has “done an enormous job” and promised that the US and its allies would “make sure that you get what you need”.

“And I look forward to the day when we’re having the meetings celebrating your official membership in Nato, so thank you for what you’re doing,” he said.

For his part, Mr Zelensky thanked the US president for his recent decision to provide Kyiv with cluster munitions for use against Russian troops on Ukrainian soil, telling Mr Biden that the move “will help us to save us”.

President Zelensky was asked whether the Nato summit was a success considering his frustration yesterday: “I think by the end of the summit, we have great unity from our leaders and the security guarantees — that is a success for this summit, I think so. It’s my opinion.”

President Biden made a sarcastic swipe at the press when Mr Zelensky was asked how soon after the war he would like to see Ukraine in Nato.

“An hour and twenty minutes,” Mr Biden interjected, adding: “You guys ask really insightful questions.”

[12 July 2023 16:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Watch: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan previews Biden remarks

[12 July 2023 16:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Full story: G7 support for Ukraine ‘will last long into the future,’ Biden says amid tension over Nato block

President Joe Biden on Wednesday said the joint declaration of support for Ukraine issued by the Group of Seven countries will “make it clear” that support for Kyiv from the world’s largest democracies “will last long into the future”.

Speaking at the Nato summit in Vilnius following the inaugural meeting of the Nato-Ukraine council, Mr Biden said the western nations’ are making long-term commitments to Ukrainian security assistance while Ukraine continues a process that will lead to full membership in the soon-to-be 31-member bloc.

Andrew Feinberg reports on the president’s remarks.

[12 July 2023 16:45 · Oliver O'Connell]

Watch: Biden says no question Ukraine welcome in Nato

[12 July 2023 16:48 · Oliver O'Connell]

Coming up: Biden to give major post-Nato Summit speech in Vilnius

[12 July 2023 17:03 · Oliver O'Connell]

Read President Joe Biden’s G7 remarks in full

After an unscripted thank you to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan for standing up and coming to the aid of Ukraine, President Joe Biden made the following prepared remarks at the close of the G7 meeting at this week’s Nato Summit.

President Joe Biden makes remarks at the Nato Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, 12 July 2023

We’ve just concluded the first meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council and — where all our Allies agreed Ukraine’s future lies with Nato. That’s not a surprise to any of us, I don’t think. I hope it’s not a surprise to you, Mr President.

Allies all agreed to lift the requirements for Membership Action Plan for Ukraine and to create a path to Nato membership while Ukraine continues to make progress on necessary reforms.

But we’re not waiting for that process to be finished to make the long-term commitments that we’re making to Ukraine’s security. Volodymyr and I, we — the — I shouldn’t be so familiar — Mr Zelenskyy and I talked about the kind of guarantees we could make in the meantime when I was in Ukraine and when we met in other places.

And so, today, the long-term commitments we’re making are — are backed up by the notion that in the meantime we’re going to provide security to Ukraine for its needs and against any aggression that may occur.

Today, the members of the G7 are launching a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine to make it clear that our support will last long into the future.

This starts a process by which each of our nations and any other nation who wishes to participate will negotiate long-term bilateral security commitments with and to Ukraine.

We’re going to help Ukraine build a strong, capable defence across land, air, and sea from which we will force the — it will be a force of stability in the region and deter against any and all threats.

I want to thank my fellow G7 leaders and President Zelenskyy for their work to make this happen. I think it’s a powerful statement — a powerful statement of our commitment to Ukraine as it defends its freedom today and as it rebuilds the future for — and we’re going to be there as long as that takes.

And, again, I thank all my colleagues for their support for this.

[12 July 2023 17:26 · Oliver O'Connell]

Despite divisions over Ukraine War, Biden and Zelensky share mutual praise

President Joe Biden wants Ukraine to win the war against Russia. But he doesn’t want World War III — especially with nuclear weapons.

Balancing those two goals has been difficult, and the tension was on particular display at the NATO summit in Vilnius this week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an emotional, even caustic, demand for a clear path toward joining the alliance.

But Biden, who was to try to showcase NATO’s strength in a sum-up speech Wednesday evening, was not willing to take that step, even as the United States continues to provide more weapons and ammunition than any other country to Ukraine.

The competing priorities in the midst of Europe’s bloodiest war in generations created an undercurrent of friction even as Biden and Zelenskyy projected a united front during their meeting as the summit drew to a close.

[12 July 2023 17:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Lone Trump supporter in enthusiastic crowd ahead of Biden speech

People wave American, Lithuanian and Ukrainian flags, as they wait for the arrival of United States President Joe Biden, at Vilnius University (AP)

With the president soon set to speak, the White House pool has arrived at Vilnius University.

According to the pool report, hundreds appeared to gather in an overflow space that took up a square. Many people were holding Ukrainian flags. One man had a handwritten sign that said “TRUMP MAGA.”

In the venue, crowds of people had small Lithuanian and American flags. They cheered as former presidents of Lithuania and other leaders entered and were seated on risers near the stage.