Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky arrived Wednesday in the United Kingdom for an official visit marking his first trip to London since the start of the Russian invasion unleashed on February 24, 2022 on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
«Welcome to the UK, President Zelenski,» said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a brief message on his account on the social network Twitter, alongside the message Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine) and a photograph of the two during their greeting.
For his part, Zelenski has stressed in a message on his Telegram account that «UK was one of the first to come to Ukraine’s aid.» «I am in London today to personally thank the British people for their support and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his leadership,» he noted.
Downing Street had indicated hours earlier in a statement that Zelenski will meet with Sunak and give a speech to Parliament. In addition, he will meet with King Charles III, according to the British television network BBC.
Likewise, Sunak’s office has advanced that the ‘premier’ «will offer to increase the training offer to Ukrainian troops, including its expansion to fighter pilots, to guarantee that Ukraine can defend its skies in the future».
«The training will ensure that pilots can fly fighter jets under NATO standards,» he said, before stressing that Sunak will also offer training programs for marines, a plan that will add to the recruit training program already underway, which has benefited nearly 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen over the past six months.
He said Sunak and Zelenski will discuss UK support for Ukraine, «starting with an immediate increase in the delivery of military equipment to the country to help cope with a Russian spring offensive and strengthen long-term support», while the British Prime Minister will offer his support for the Ukrainian President’s proposed plan to achieve peace.
The British prime minister will also offer to deliver «long-range capabilities» to Kiev, which would help Ukraine «disrupt Russia’s ability to continue to continuously attack civilian and critical infrastructure and help relieve pressure on the front lines.»
«Zelenski’s visit to the UK is a testament to his country’s courage, determination and fight and to the unbreakable friendship between our countries,» said Sunak, who stressed that «since 2014, the UK has given crucial training to Ukrainian forces, enabling them to defend their country, their sovereignty and fight for their territory.»
«I am proud that today we are expanding training from soldiers to marines and fighter pilots, ensuring that Ukraine has an Army capable of defending its interests in the future. This underscores our commitment not just to giving military equipment in the short term, but a long-term commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine for years to come,» he explained.
Downing Street has also stressed that the UK will announce during the day new sanctions against Russia for its attacks and has specified that they will affect «those who have helped enrich Putin» and «companies that benefit from the Kremlin’s war machine».
The Ukrainian leader addressed British MPs in March 2022 via a video-conference speech from the Ukrainian capital Kiev, marking the first time a foreign president had addressed MPs in the House of Commons.
Zelensky has so far made only one foreign visit since the outbreak of the war. The Ukrainian president traveled on December 21 to the United States, where he met with U.S. President Joe Biden and gave a speech to Congress. On his return, he stopped in Poland for a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, before arriving in Kiev.
Although there is no official confirmation so far, Zelenski is expected to travel to Brussels on Thursday, coinciding with a summit of heads of state and government of the EU-27, in what would be the first visit to Europe by the president since the beginning of the war, a few weeks before the first anniversary of the Russian aggression. European sources consulted by Europa Press claim «security reasons» to avoid a direct answer and explain that they can neither «confirm nor deny» the information.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
