LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a surprise visit to London on Wednesday, thanked Britain for its strong military support for his country but made a blunt request: supply Ukraine with machines combat flying, a step the British government has so far opposed.
“I appeal to you and the world in simple but most important words,” Mr Zelensky told a joint session of Parliament under the quaint wooden roof of Westminster Hall. “Fighters for Ukraine, wings for freedom.”
Mr. Zelensky received a hero’s welcome on a symbolic day. Arriving at Stansted Airport, he was greeted with a hug by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who received him at 10 Downing Street. After his address to Parliament, he had an audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
Mr Zelensky’s decision to visit Britain, his second trip outside of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last year, has demonstrated the country’s role as one of Ukraine’s biggest arms suppliers and support. strong public opinion towards Mr. Sunak and his two predecessors. Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.
Britain, like the United States, has so far rejected calls to buy Ukrainian fighter jets. But Mr. Sunak announced that Britain would train Ukrainian pilots to fly the jets to NATO standards, and signaled that he was ready to send the planes.
“When it comes to fighter jets, of course they’re part of the conversation,” Mr Sunak told a news conference alongside Mr Zelensky at a military base in southern England. “Nothing is off the table.”
Zelensky traveled to Paris later on Wednesday to meet with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, the Élysée Palace said. He is then expected to travel to Brussels on Thursday to meet with European Union leaders.
“London has been with Kyiv since Day One,” Zelensky announced to thunderous applause from lawmakers gathered in the hall. “We know that freedom will win,” he added.
In a dramatic gesture that doubled as a pitch, Zelensky presented the Speaker of the House, Lindsay Hoyle, a helmet the president said belonged to one of the outstanding pilots in the Ukrainian air force. . A message was written on it: “We have freedom; give us wings to protect it.”
UK is currently sending Ukraine 14 Challenger 2 . battle tanks, as well as artillery and thousands of rounds of ammunition. That pledge a few weeks ago was in part to spur Germany and the United States to grudgingly follow suit.
The two governments have also now promised to send battle tanks, which military analysts say will bolster Ukraine’s ability to retake Russian-occupied territory ahead of an expected spring offensive. of Russia.
The British government and the Biden administration are concerned that sending fighter jets could escalate the confrontation between NATO and Russia. But Mr Johnson, during a visit to Washington last week, called on the West to do whatever was necessary – including delivering jets – to help Ukraine push back the Russian army.
At some point before and during the nearly year-long war, Britain positioned itself at the vanguard of Western military support for Ukraine. Zelensky said that in the early stages of the conflict, the shipments of British anti-tank missiles helped the Ukrainian army to stop the advance of the Russian Army.
Britain has trained 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, including those who arrived last week to learn how to operate the Challenger tank. In addition to the pilot, Britain said it would begin training Ukrainian marines.
On Wednesday, the British government announced a new set of sanctions targeting the Russian military and President Vladimir V. Putin’s loyalists, with the aim of “undermining his war machine in order to weaken his war machine.” help Ukraine prevail,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement. statement.
The list includes a number of companies that support Russian military operations, including CST, a manufacturer of drones, as well as companies that supply military-related parts and software. military aviation. Five individuals were also targeted because of their apparent ties to Mr. Putin’s whereabouts.
like Aurelien contribution report from Paris.
