The President of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenskihighlighted this Wednesday from the Parliament of United Kingdom that “London has been on kyiv’s side since day one” of the Russian invasion and has thanked the British authorities for their help “when the world still did not know how to react”.
Zelensky, who has stressed that speaks “on behalf of all fathers and mothers waiting for their brave sons and daughters to return from the front lines”has claimed that the British government supported Ukraine “from the first seconds and minutes” of the war.
Thus, he has extolled that the former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson “got others to join when it seemed utterly impossible”, before adding that the UK is “marching” alongside Ukraine “towards the most important victory of our lives, the victory of the very idea of war.”
The Ukrainian president has indicated that Ukraine and its allies have created “a true coalition of friends” that has achieved “remarkable” results and has called for new sanctions against Moscow. “The world needs UK leadership just as it needs Ukraine’s courage,” he explained.
Along these lines, he has applauded the decision of the British Government to deliver battle tanks to kyiv and has thanked the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, for what he has described as “a powerful step in defense”, as reported by the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’.
Zelensky has also requested the delivery of long-range missiles to achieve “let the evil totally withdraw” from Ukraine and has confirmed that he will meet in the next few hours with Carlos III. “In the United Kingdom, the king is an Air Force pilot. In Ukraine today, every Air Force pilot is a king,” he concluded.
“Freedom Will Win”
“Freedom will win,” Zelensky said to applause from British parliamentarians, as reported by the British BBC television channel. “We know that Russia will lose. We will always be above evil. This is at the center of our, and also your, traditions,” he pointed out.
Lastly, he gave the speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, Lindsay Hoyle, a helmet belonging to a Ukrainian pilot on which the message is written: “We have freedom, give us wings to protect it”, in reference to the request of kyiv on the delivery of combat aircraft to repel the Russian offensive. Zelensky has expressed his wish that this symbol “help in the next coalition of planes, wings for freedom.”
“I am leaving Parliament today giving thanks in advance for the powerful English planes”, has stood out, unleashing laughter and applause among those present. “May God bless the king. Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine)”, Zelenski has riveted.
Zelensky had previously thanked Sunak during their meeting for the London announcement of expanding his support for kyiv, including including military aircraft pilots and marines in its training programs. “Thank you for his efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and for the humanitarian and financial aid given after the start of the large-scale aggression (by Russia),” he said.
In this way, it has also transferred to the ‘premier’ its thanks for the UK’s support for “Ukrainians who were forced to flee their homes because of the Russian war”, At the same time, it has communicated to Sunak kyiv’s needs at a military level to face the offensive, as indicated by the Ukrainian Presidency through a statement published on its website.
Downing Street had indicated hours before that the ‘premier’ “will offer to increase the training offer to Ukrainian troops, including its expansion to combat aircraft pilots, to guarantee that Ukraine can defend its skies in the future.” “The training will guarantee that the pilots can fly combat aircraft under the standards of the I’LL TAKE“said.
On the other hand, the United Kingdom will also offer training programs for marines, a plan that will add to the training program for recruits already underway, which has benefited about 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen during the last six months, as well as deliver to kyiv ” long-range capabilities,” which would help Ukraine “disrupt Russia’s ability to continuously engage civilian and critical infrastructure and help relieve pressure on front lines.”
Zelensky had made only one foreign visit to date since the outbreak of the war. The Ukrainian president traveled to the United States on December 21, where he met with the president of the North American country, Joe Biden, and gave a speech before Congress. On his return, he made a stopover in Poland for a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, before arriving in kyiv.
Although for now there is no official confirmation, Zelenski is expected to travel to Brussels this Thursday to coincide with a summit of the Twenty-seven Heads of State and Government, in what would be the president’s first visit to Europe since the start of the war. , weeks after the first year of Russian aggression. European sources consulted by Europa Press allege “security reasons” to avoid a direct response and explain that they can “neither confirm nor deny” the information.