Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to London to talk about military aid to Ukraine, including the training of Ukrainian pilots, writes Reuters.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office has reported that Zelensky will address the parliament and visit Ukrainian soldiers who are currently undergoing training in Great Britain. The Prime Minister’s statement says that Zelensky’s visit is both a testament to his country’s courage and fight and a sign of strong friendship between Great Britain and Ukraine.
The government headed by Sunak has announced additional sanctions against Russia, as well as plans to increase military support to Kyiv, including training soldiers.
«The training will ensure pilots are able to fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future,»
the statement said.
This may indicate a major turning point. So far, Ukraine’s allies have refrained from giving the war-torn country fighter jets or weapons that can hit targets in Russia.
It is planned that Zelensky could also visit the European Union summit this week to call for increased support for Ukraine.
This is only Zelensky’s second trip abroad since the beginning of the war in February 2022. In December, the President of Ukraine visited the US.
Western leaders have increased their commitment to helping Ukraine since the start of the year, including by supplying tanks and other armored vehicles. Kyiv has also asked for long-range missiles and fighter jets. The US and Great Britain have made it clear that they will support Ukraine in other ways, but will not provide fighter jets. On the other hand, other countries have indicated that they could also hand over their planes to Kyiv, thus leaving the possibility for a joint positive decision by all Western allies.
After the success of the Ukrainian army in the second half of 2022, Russia has now regained the lead. Kyiv says Russia plans to step up its attacks.
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