Rishi Sunak orders audit of Ukraine war progress, source says

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has asked for an appraisal of the advancement of the warfare successful Ukraine, BBC Newsnight has learnt.

Senior figures fearfulness the PM whitethorn beryllium taking an overly cautious attack arsenic the warfare enters a cardinal phase.

One Whitehall root likened the workout to a "Goldman Sachs dashboard" introspection of the warfare and however UK subject supplies are used.

Downing Street insists that Mr Sunak is powerfully supportive of Ukraine.

In a tweet, Mr Sunak said the UK was with Ukraine "all the way" during a sojourn to the state past month, his archetypal overseas travel arsenic premier minister.

But the petition has raised alarm bells successful immoderate corners of Whitehall arsenic subject chiefs accidental weapons supplies to Ukraine whitethorn beryllium decisive successful the wintertime months ahead.

The root said: "Wars aren't won [by dashboards]. Wars are won connected instinct. At the commencement of this it was Boris (Johnson) sitting down and saying: 'Let's conscionable spell for this.' So Rishi needs to transmission his interior Boris connected overseas argumentation though not of people connected thing else."

The root said the audit, known arsenic a data-driven assessment, is designed to measure the advancement of the warfare and the value of the UK's subject contributions to Ukraine. The root said: "This is astir looking astatine what we person enactment in, what we person got out."

The UK has been 1 of the biggest suppliers of subject assistance to Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces invaded the state successful February.

BBC Newsnight has been told that Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is alert of the statement wrong the UK and is encouraging Mr Sunak to support beardown subject enactment for his country.

"President Zelensky has sensed what is going on," the root said. "So helium has been talking to Rishi. He is trying to animate him, saying the UK are the large liberators, the large fighters. We request you. Rise to that."

The projected appraisal of the warfare comes astatine a important constituent successful the conflict. Key figures successful Whitehall judge that Ukraine and Russia person fought themselves to a standstill.

The lone way, they say, for 1 broadside to propulsion up is by substantially expanding their proviso of weaponry. Russia has efficaciously tally retired of supplies. Ukraine tin lone resupply weapons with the assistance of the US and the main subject powers successful Europe, led by the UK.

Whitehall sources accidental that Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the main of the defence staff, delivered that connection successful diplomatic presumption successful a lecture this week.

Sir Tony made wide the Russian subject "cupboard is bare" and helium appeared to contented a rallying outcry for continued enactment for Ukraine.

The main of the defence unit told the Royal United Services Institute: "Extraordinary times telephone for an bonzer response. This explains wherefore Russia is losing. And the escaped satellite is winning… Providing we support our cohesion and resolve, the existent triumph wrong our grasp is overmuch much significant."

Ukraine besides made an entreaty this week for much weaponry. General Valery Zaluzhny, the caput of the Ukrainian equipped forces, told the Economist: "I cognize that I tin bushed this enemy. But I request resources. I request 300 tanks, 600-700 ifvs [infantry warring vehicles], 500 Howitzers."

The US Congress gave the Pentagon support successful rule earlier this period to bargain important weaponry for Ukraine. But the Economist reported that this whitethorn not get successful clip for a outpouring violative adjacent year.

Some successful Whitehall spot this attack arsenic a motion of the innate caution connected Ukraine by US President Joe Biden who is understood to beryllium acrophobic astir provoking a wider planetary conflict. There are immoderate fears successful Whitehall that Mr Sunak whitethorn extremity up encouraging Mr Biden's caution.

The root told Newsnight: "We person stiffened the US resoluteness astatine each levels - unit from america but ever friendly. We don't privation Rishi to reenforce Biden's caution. We privation him to pushing successful the mode Boris did."

You tin ticker Nicholas Watt's afloat study connected Newsnight astatine 22:30 GMT connected BBC Two