Russian officials attacked Volodymyr Zilenskyy’s “hasty” trip to Europe, dismissing his speech to Westminster MPs as “theatrical”.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian president surprised London with a surprise visit. He urged Western allies and the UK to give “wings of freedom” by providing advanced jets.
The Russian President Emmanuel Macron was invited to Paris to meet with Mr Zelenskyy. He also met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Later today, he will attend the EU summit in Brussels.
The Russian Embassy in London made a strong statement about its intentions and stated that “Zelenskyy’s pompous solicitations regarding the values of freedom’ and ‘human right’, for which Kiev claims to be fighting, were hypocritical.”
The embassy mocked “the ex-comedian wearing a green sweatshirt, now on tour throughout Europe” and gave a warning to the UK government.
“We remind London that in the event such a scenario occurs, the United Kingdom will bear the military-political and political consequences for Europe and the entire world. It stated that Russia would know how to react to any hostile actions of the British side.
Zelenskyy asks for more weapons
Thursday will see Mr Zelenskyy address the European Parliament in his third stop of a surprise trip across Europe.
Although Mr Zelenskyy may not be able to get immediate promises to meet his demands, this will be his first chance to present his case to EU member countries since the war started almost one year ago.
Politics news: Sunak claims that ‘nothing’ is off the table when it comes to military support of Ukraine
This follows a powerful speech at Westminster Hall on Wednesday followed by talks between the leaders of France, Germany and Paris over dinner.
Rishi Sunak stated that “nothing is off-the-table” when it came to aiding the war effort in Ukraine, and fighter jets are “part of the conversation”.
After his speech in London, Mr Zelenskyy was given a standing ovation.
The prime minister was later asked by the Ukrainian president at a military base in Dorset if Ukraine would receive jets from the UK. If so, when.
“We have been very clear, and we’ve known for a long while that there is no other option when it comes to providing military assistance to Ukraine,” Mr Sunak stated.
“Fighter combat aircraft are part of the conversation when it comes to fighting,
‘More Military Assistance Needed’
After the Western world agreed to send tanks to Ukraine, Kyiv requested warplanes to repel an invasion by Russia.
At the news conference, Mr Zelenskyy stated that there will be no military assistance without which these Russian soldiers will continue to live on our territory. This poses a great risk for the entire world.
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Can the UK send fighter jets into Ukraine?
Downing Street stated that the prime minister asked Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary, to look into what warplanes the UK might supply. However, he stressed that any move to do this would not be made immediately.
Professor Michael Clarke, a security and defence analyst, says that the UK doesn’t have the right type of jets.
This is Mr Zelenskyy’s second trip to Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.
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After touring parliament, he went to Buckingham Palace to have an audience with King Edward VII. He then visited Lulworth Camp in Dorset, where he met the British Army’s trained Ukrainian troops.
After his talks with Mr Macron, Mr Scholz, he stated: “France & Germany have the potential for being game changers, and that’s what I see from our talks.
“The Russian aggression will stop the sooner we have heavy long-range weapons and modern planes for our pilots, the better.”
A discussion about Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will also be on the agenda for Mr Zelenskyy’s visit in Brussels.