British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the fighter jets were “part of the conversation” on aid to kyiv. “Nothing is on the table,” he admitted. The Ukrainian president described his visit as “very fruitful”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed for fighter jets to secure his country’s victory over Russia in a dramatic speech to the British Parliament, where he also thanked the British people for their support since ‘day one’ of the war. invasion from Moscow.
The embattled leader’s surprise visit to Britain in a bid to secure more advanced weaponry comes as Ukraine prepares for an expected Russian offensive and develops its own plans to retake land from Moscow’s forces. Western support has been key to Kyiv’s surprisingly strong defense, and both sides are engaged in grueling battles.
Speaking at a joint press conference at a British army base, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the fighter jets were “part of the conversation” on aid to Ukraine.
“Nothing is on the table,” he said. “We must arm Ukraine in the short term, but we must strengthen Ukraine in the long term.”
Zelensky said Ukraine needed all kinds of supplies, not just aircraft, but also ammunition and long-range missiles.
“Without it, there would be stagnation which will not bring anything good,” he said, calling his visit “very fruitful”.
It was only Zelensky’s second trip abroad since invading Russia on February 24, 2022, following a visit to Washington in December. French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said he would receive Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris later today. There were growing expectations that he could meet European Union leaders on Thursday in Brussels, where a summit is being held.
Sunak and Zelensky flew by helicopter to Camp Lulworth, a base in south-west England, where they met Ukrainian troops trained on Challenger 2 tanks that Britain sends as part of the hundreds that Kiev says it needs. More than 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained at bases in Britain and Britain and he says he will train 20,000 more by 2023.
“I am proud that today we are expanding this training from soldiers to marines and fighter pilots, ensuring that Ukraine has a military capable of defending its interests in the future,” Sunak said.
Hundreds of lawmakers and parliamentary staff packed the 900-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest – and, on a cold winter day, unheated – part of Parliament, for Zelensky’s speech.
Zelensky thanked the British for their bravery, adding: “London has been with Kyiv since day one.”
In his olive green t-shirt, he urged his allies to send planes to his country, saying the fighter jets would be “wings for freedom”.
In a scathing and dramatic gesture, Zelensky presented the Speaker of the House of Commons with a Ukrainian Air Force helmet, bearing the inscription of a Ukrainian pilot: “We have freedom. Give us wings to protect her.”
The president tries to soften the reluctance of the allies to send advanced fighter jets, both because they are difficult to fly and for fear that the war will escalate.
Britain has repeatedly stated that it is impractical to supply the Ukrainian army with British fighter jets. But in a twist, the government said on Wednesday it was “actively examining” whether Ukraine could receive Western aircraft, and was “in discussions with our allies” about it.
Britain also said it would train Ukrainian pilots in Britain on “standard NATO fighter jets” within weeks.
Sunak spokesman Max Blain said the government was exploring “what aircraft we could offer” in the coming years, but had not made a decision on whether to send its F-35 or his Typhoon.
“We believe it is right to provide short-term equipment (…) that can help win the war now, but also to look to the medium and long term to ensure that Ukraine has all the abilities she needs,” he said.
Ukraine has sought Western fighter jets since the start of the war to bolster its force of Soviet-made Su and MiG-29 fighters. The success of its air force in defending its skies and territories, despite Russia’s greater numbers, helped repel Moscow’s initial attack.
The Russian Embassy in London has strongly warned the UK against supplying fighter jets to Ukraine and said Britain will bear the responsibility “for a new twist in the escalation and the resulting military-political consequences for the European continent and the whole world”.
Macron said France did not rule out sending fighter jets but had set conditions, including not leading to an escalation of tensions or using the plane “to touch Russian soil” and not to weaken ” the capabilities of the French army”.
Zelensky also visited Buckingham Palace, where he met King Charles III, who greeted him with a broad smile and a warm handshake before tea. The King told the President that “we all worry about you and have been thinking about your country for so long”.
In his speech to parliament, Zelensky noted that Carlos was a trained military pilot.
“The king is an air force pilot,” Zelensky said, and “today in Ukraine every air force pilot is a king.”
Zelensky was greeted with applause, cheers and cries of “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine) upon his arrival at parliament, where his cause enjoys widespread support.
He had addressed the British Parliament remotely in March, two weeks after the start of the invasion. He echoed the famous “never surrender” speech of World War II leader Winston Churchill, vowing that the Ukrainians “will fight to the end at sea, in the air. We will continue to fight for our land, whatever the cost.”
On Wednesday, he recalled how, on a pre-war visit to London, he had sat in Churchill’s chair in his underground wartime headquarters and felt he only understood NOW.
“It was the feeling of how bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to ultimately reward you with victory,” Zelensky said.
In past wars, “evil has lost”, he told British lawmakers. “We know Russia will lose and we know victory will change the world.”
Britain has sent Ukraine more than 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) in weapons and equipment, and Zelensky thanked Sunak and his predecessor Boris Johnson for their strong support. Sunak took office in October and pledged to maintain Britain’s support.
“Boris, you brought other people together when it seemed absolutely impossible,” Zelensky said.
He also called for tougher sanctions against Moscow until “Russia is deprived of any possibility of financing this war”.
Coinciding with the visit, the British government announced new sanctions against six entities that Britain has supplied as equipment to the Russian military. CST, a maker of Russian drones and parts for helicopters used against Ukraine, was among them.
The Ukrainian leader arrived on a Royal Air Force plane in London and Sunak greeted him on the tarmac with a hug. They held talks at the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street ahead of Zelensky’s speech.
The visit to London came as Russian forces shelled areas of eastern Ukraine in what Kyiv authorities believe is part of a push by Kremlin forces ahead of the anniversary of the invasion. Meanwhile, Moscow believes Ukraine is building its own momentum on the battlefield.
Source: Latercera
