The British leader, PM Sunak who came to power last month, promises 'robust pragmatism' in his first foreign policy speech.

Rishi Sunak, the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, was elected last month with the hope that he would usher in a period of fresh, stable circumstances for both his party and the entire nation. As the conflict on the European continent rages on, he must prepare a post-Brexit Britain for the new geopolitical difficulties it will face.

He delivered his first foreign policy speech on Monday night, and it was noteworthy for two reasons in particular.

Firstly, Sunak hasn't had a de facto foreign policy profile, to start. He has made it apparent that he supports liberal ideals and European responsibilities, but he did not provide a clear and cogent vision for his foreign policy.

According to Victoria Honeyman, an associate professor of British politics at the University of Leeds, "the assumption was that he was close to [former Prime Minister Boris] Johnson on foreign policy, so supportive of Ukraine after Russia's invasion of their nation, supportive of the US-UK special relationship, and cautious over China's influence on the UK."

Beyond that, it's difficult to say. Although it should go without saying, there has been debate over whether Sunak's ethnicity and the fact that his wife has family and business ties to India will improve relations with that country.

Second, Sunak lacks direct experience on the global stage of geopolitics outside of the financial markets, in contrast to his immediate predecessors Johnson and Liz Truss, who served as foreign ministers before ascending to the position of prime minister. The lack of experience, though, could also work to your benefit.

"[Being unreliable in terms of his opinions on foreign policy] meant he was probably less idealistic and more pragmatic. We can probably anticipate him to emphasize economic rather than security or political factors more given his background as chancellor of the Exchequer and in financial services before entering politics, according to James Strong, a senior lecturer in British politics and foreign policy at Queen Mary University of London.

Therefore, people were looking forward to hearing him speak about British foreign policy and the role he saw Britain playing.

In his address, Sunak made it apparent that liberal principles would be crucial and that his immediate goal was to increase British influence.

Sunak's keynote address at the annual Lord Mayor's Banquet in London stated that "freedom and openness have always been the strongest forces of progress." But this was "never achieved by standing still," Sunak continued.

Britain must “do more to defend its values ​​of freedom and openness on the world stage,” Sunak added.

Sunak described his foreign policy vision for Britain as "robust pragmatism," which he had previously demonstrated during his visit to Kyiv and the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week.

The trip demonstrated Britain's unwavering support for Ukraine despite the change in government. After example, concerns about whether Sunak could uphold the vow to increase defense spending were raised, despite the fact that Britain has led the Western reaction to Russian aggression.

Sunak, though, made it plain in his statement that Britain would support Ukraine "for as long as it is required."

He pledged that military aid should at the very least be maintained and possibly enhanced next year

Additionally, Sunak declared that in order to defend the Ukrainian populace and vital infrastructure, he will offer new support to Ukraine's air defenses.

Additionally, Sunak stated that the UK must "stop the world's reliance on autocratic governments, starting with Russian gas,"

But the primary concern was how Sunak would feel about China.

In contrast to the Ukraine issue, he had sent conflicting messages in recent weeks about how he wanted to develop his relationship with China.

Since former British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping famously had a pint of beer in a tavern in 2016, Britain's relations with China have considerably deteriorated.

Over the past five years, the UK has tended to handle China with more care than it did in the past. Concerns about eavesdropping allegations, US policy toward China, and infrastructure investment all had a role in this, according to Honeyman.