Rishi Sunak has begun advising the Ukrainian government on economic renewal as Kyiv looks to rebuild its energy sector in time for next winter.
Documents released on Friday by the independent adviser on ministerial standards revealed the former prime minister has taken up an unpaid role as part President Volodymyr Zelensky’s International Advisory Council for the Economic Renewal of Ukraine.
The advisory council is expected to provide a panel of experts to advise both Mr Zelensky and his economic adviser, former Canadian deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland.
Mr Sunak said he had been “honoured” to support Ukraine as prime minister, and praised Mr Zelensky’s leadership the Ukrainian people for showing “such bravery, such strength, such ingenuity in their resistance in this war”.
He added: “The West needs a strong Ukraine, and a strong Ukraine needs a strong economy.
“So I am delighted to join the international group advising President Zelensky on economic reconstruction. I am confident that Ukraine—with its human capital, its natural resources, and its culture of innovation—can become one of the most dynamic economies in Europe.
“We can help build a strong and secure Ukraine that will be a keystone of a safer and more prosperous Europe.”
Mr Sunak took part in the council’s first meeting on Thursday alongside other international figures including World Bank president Ajay Banga and the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Odile Renaud-Basso.
Representatives of businesses including Siemens, BlackRock, Citigroup and ArcelorMittal also took part.
In a post on X, Mr Zelensky said the group had discussed “strengthening Ukraine’s energy resilience” ahead of next winter, along with “broader opportunities for investment”, including in the country’s defence industry.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have proved a major problem over recent months, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of seeking to “weaponise” the cold in a country where temperatures routinely fall well below zero.
Mr Zelensky said: “Thank you to the representatives for supporting Ukraine throughout these years of full-scale Russian aggression. Even during the war, after such a winter, our country lives.
“We are open to partnership, to joint projects, to investments that will support our people and our security. Thank you to everyone who invests in Ukraine’s resilience.”
Mr Sunak’s role advising Ukraine is the latest in a string of post-premiership appointments.
While he remains MP for Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak has taken up jobs advising Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and AI company Anthropic.
He is also a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California, where he studied; holds unpaid roles at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum and the Blavatnik School of Government; writes a column in the Sunday Times; and runs a maths charity with his wife, Akshata Murty.
Mr Sunak donates the bulk of his income from his non-parliamentary jobs to charity, according to his official register of interests.
