Volodymyr Zelensky, during a speech in the British Parliament, called on London to provide combat aircraft to the Ukrainian armed forces. In London, the President of Ukraine met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III, and also visited a military base where the Ukrainian military is trained.
Zelensky is expected to arrive in Paris on Wednesday, where he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. On Thursday, Zelensky is expected in Brussels at a meeting of heads of state and government of the European Union.
Zelensky addressed the deputies of both houses of parliament at Westminster Hall, a historic building where important state events take place. Among other things, it was here that the British said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II.
“We have freedom, give us wings to protect it!” – Zelensky called and proposed a new slogan for the joint struggle of Britain and Ukraine against Russian aggression: “Wings for freedom.”
Prior to this, a British Royal Air Force plane took Zelensky to London Stansted Airport, where he was met by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
In the parliament, Zelensky was greeted with a standing ovation and invited to the stage with the words “Glory to Ukraine!”, which the speaker of parliament uttered in Ukrainian.
Among the audience, in addition to the current prime minister Rishi Sunak, were also previous premieres Boris Johnson and Theresa May.
Zelensky separately thanked Boris Johnson for his support at a time when “it seemed impossible.” He also thanked the current prime minister for continuing the policy of unity with Ukraine.
In his speech, Zelensky compared what is happening with the joint struggle of Ukraine and Britain against the fascist invaders during World War II, saying that now “a new evil is rearing its head.” He thanked Britain for military assistance in the form of tanks and other weapons, but noted that Ukraine now needs fighter jets to protect its skies from Russian missiles.
Right during the speech, Zelensky handed the speaker of parliament Lindsey Hoyle the helmet of one of the most recognized and successful, according to the Ukrainian president, Ukrainian pilots. He called it a symbol of the continuation of the joint struggle in the sky: “In Britain, the king is an air force pilot, but today in Ukraine every air force pilot is a king.”
What Zelenskiy meant was that during his years in the army in the 1970s, King Charles III was a military pilot.
“We have freedom, give us wings to protect it!” – said the President of Ukraine. He recalled that during a visit to Parliament, even before the full-scale invasion, he thanked the hosts “for delicious English tea.” “Today I will leave parliament, thanking you all in advance for the powerful British aircraft,” Zelensky said.
On Wednesday, London announced that the UK would begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly Western-style fighter jets. This decision may indicate a change in Britain’s position regarding the supply of Western fighters to Ukraine. Sunak previously called such deliveries “impractical,” explaining that British warplanes are very complex and could take months to learn to fly.
After Zelensky’s appeal, the British authorities did not confirm that London was ready to send fighter jets to Ukraine right now. Asked by reporters about the deliveries, Sunak’s spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has instructed the Minister of Defense to establish what jets we could provide, but it must be emphasized that this is a long-term solution, not a quick delivery, which Ukraine now needs more Total”.
source: bbc
