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The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, visited the United Kingdom by surprise on Wednesday, for the first time since the war broke out, to thank the help received so far by London, its second largest donor after Washington, and to redouble its efforts to obtain fighter jets. And after meeting with Sunak he did the same in Paris, where as soon as he landed he made a joint statement with the president of France, Emmanuel Macronand the German chancellor, Olaf Schölz.
Zelensky is now obsessed with one thing: he calls for “wings for freedom” for his country. And when he calls for “wings” he’s not referring to the famous energy drink that he gained popularity for using that catchphrase. The Ukrainian president wants modern fighter jets to end the war as soon as possible. He needs weapons muscle to take on Putin.
“We have announced that we will train the Ukrainian air force in handling standard NATO platforms. The first step to being able to offer advanced aircraft is to have soldiers who are capable of using them. This is a process that takes time, but we have started it today,” said the British Prime Minister, in statements collected by efe.
[El primer Leopard ya está en Polonia pero el resto de tanques no llegarán a Ucrania hasta abril]
His official spokesman had detailed before that a pilot needs five years of training to get behind the controls of a Typhoonthe most advanced fighter of the British Royal Air Force (RAF), and ruled out that this model is an option for Ukraine.
Sunak valued the aid that his government has sent so far, which has dedicated 2,300 million pounds (2,600 million euros) to military assistance to Kiev, and did not rule out a future shipment of planes, although he stressed that it is a possible long term solution.
Zelenski during the last press conference that he has offered together with Rishi Sunak in Dorset.
Reuters
Short termstressed Sunak, Ukraine needs tanks and long-range missiles to face the Russian advance. The head of government advanced that the fleet of 14 Challenger 2 tanks that London has already announced will be available to kyiv next month. And he assured that the support of the United Kingdom in the “long term” will not waver.
“After all, you told me yourself that international unity is your greatest weapon. You can be sure that we will comply with that, not only now, but in the future,” Sunak told Zelensky.
Meeting with Macron and Scholz
After concluding his visit to the United Kingdom, Zelenski traveled to Paris, where he met with Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz. There he has again asked France and Germany this Wednesday for the delivery of modern combat aircraft and heavy weapons to end the war caused almost a year ago by the Russian invasion as soon as possible.
“The sooner we have heavy weapons and modern aircraft, the faster this war will end. and we will be able to return to peace in Europe,” Zelensky said in a statement with the French president and the German chancellor, before a working dinner at the Elysée where they discussed continued Western military support for Kiev.
[Rusia elige Mariúpol para reunir las tropas de la nueva ofensiva y así poder nutrir los dos frentes]
The Ukrainian leader has already discussed the delivery of combat planes with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who evoked that possibility, albeit “in the long term.”
Macronhost of tonight’s date, assured Zelensky of his “determination to see him through to victory” about the Russian invasion, in statements collected by efe. “What is at stake in Ukraine is the future of Europe, we are very aware,” said the French leader.
Macron watches as Zelensky and Scholz shake hands during the press conference at the Elysée.
Reuters
“Ukraine can count on France, its European partners and its allies to win the war. Russia cannot and must not win it,” Macron added before dinner began. And he recalled that Zelensky’s last visit to the Elysee was in December 2019 for a summit of the so-called “Normandy format” (France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine) to try to “avoid the worst”. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
For his part, scholz considered “a strong sign” that Zelenski is going to attend a meeting of heads of state and government of the European Union this Thursday in Brussels, since “Ukraine is part of the European family”. “Russia must not win this war,” Scholz said in line with Macron.
Zelenski will attend a session of the European Council this Thursday in Brussels in which the continuation of Community aid to Ukraine is one of the main topics of discussion. Before this trip to various European capitals, Zelensky had only visited two foreign countries since the start of the Russian invasion: the US and Poland.
Germany, Netherlands and Denmark announced on Wednesday that to jointly deliver a total of more than 100 Leopard 1 A5 heavy main battle tanks to Ukrainesomething they will complete by 2024.
[El batallón Bratstvo se infiltra en Rusia: saboteadores ucranianos que atacan y secuestran]
As other European countries prepare shipments of Leopard 1 or 2, and the UK finalizes shipment of Challenger tanks, Kiev has upped its ante in recent days by ordering modern fighter-bombers from the West, as its air force is made up of models of ex-Soviet technology. and it has suffered severe wear and tear during this year of war.
The Ukrainian president delivered a symbolic speech in Westminster Hall, the antechamber of the British Parliament, during which he presented the speaker of the House of Commons with a pilot’s helmet with the text engraved: “We have freedom, give us wings to protect it”.
Filed Under Emmanuel Macron, France, Germany, , Olaf Scholz, Russia, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky
