Former UK Prime Minister Sunak takes position under Zelenskyy
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will become an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He will consult Ukraine on economic recovery matters, according to the Independent.
According to the outlet, the former prime minister has taken the position of advisor within the International Advisory Council on Economic Renewal under the President of Ukraine. This position is unpaid.
An informed source cited by RBC-Ukraine confirmed that Sunak will assist Zelenskyy as part of a group focused on attracting foreign investment. He will work alongside Oksana Markarova and Chrystia Freeland, whom Zelenskyy previously appointed as his advisors.
Sunak himself said that it was "an honor" for him to support Ukraine while he was prime minister. He added that he highly respects Zelenskyy’s leadership of the Ukrainian people.
"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," he said.
The outlet reports that Sunak participated in the first meeting of the Council on February 27. Alongside him were World Bank President Ajay Banga, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development President Odile Renaud-Basso, and representatives from Siemens, BlackRock, Citigroup, and ArcelorMittal.
At the same time, Sunak remains a member of the UK Parliament for Richmond and Northallerton and a consultant for Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the AI developer Anthropic.
On December 5, 2025, Zelenskyy appointed former minister Chrystia Freeland as his advisor on economic development.
Chrystia Freeland is a writer, journalist, and political figure. She served as Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister from November 20, 2019, and as Canada’s Minister of Finance from August 18, 2020, to December 16, 2024.
Earlier, on November 30, Zelenskyy appointed former Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova as his advisor on Ukraine’s reconstruction and investment. From 2021 to 2025, Markarova was Ukraine’s ambassador to the US. From 2018 to 2020, she served as Ukraine’s Minister of Finance.
