The Ukrainian president, Volidímir Zelenski, has concluded this Monday his European tour in London together with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. The two leaders have held a meeting on the outskirts of the English capital, in which the supply of a new military aid package to Ukraine that includes combat drones and air defense missilesas reported by official sources.
In a surprise visit, Zelensky traveled by military helicopter to Checkers, the prime minister’s country residence, to this bilateral meetingl, intended to address Ukraine’s immediate military needs and the country’s “long-term” security to defend against “future Russian aggression.”
He The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with long-range drones, with a capacity to cover 200 kilometerss, which will be delivered in the coming months as this country prepares to step up resistance to the Russian invasion, according to Downing Street.
At this Monday’s meeting, Zelenski reiterated the importance of having fighter planese because your country does not control its airspace.
In brief statements to the media after the meeting, Sunak detailed that the UK remains “firm” in its support for Ukraine and that the delivery of fighter jets is not easy because it requires the training of Ukrainian pilots and also the logistics to control those aircraft.
“A topic of conversation we’ve had today is about the long-term security issues that we must establish between the allied countries to ensure that it can defend itself and provide an effective deterrent against future Russian aggression,” he added.
About western fighter jetsZelenski has stressed that “very important decisions” would soon be taken in this regard.
“Today we are talking about planes. It is a very important issue for us because we cannot control the sky,” Zelenski said, noting that Ukraine and the UK are “true partners“.
After the meeting, Sunak wrote on his Twitter account that the UK will open “a new flight school” that “will give Ukrainian pilots the training they need to handle different types of aircraftwhich will allow them to better defend their citizens against Russian aggression.”
Later, a Downing Street spokesman explained in a statement that the prime minister “reiterated that the UK will continue to support to ensure that Ukraine obtains a just and lasting peace”.
“This includes immediate military support and providing long-term security assistance to ensure Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression,” the spokesman said.
The Prime Minister stressed that he will take advantage of his meetings with world leaders in the coming days at the Council of Europe, in Iceland, and the G7 summit in Japan to emphasize the importance of maintaining global support for Ukraine “at this crucial moment”, the same source pointed out.
Zelensky made this surprise visit after holding meetings with leaders in Rome, Berlin and Paris.
Last week, the British government confirmed that it will send “Storm Shadows” conventional long-range missiles to Ukraine.
According to official sources, the military equipment provided by the United Kingdom must be reinforced with training and sanctions against the Russian regime, as well as guarantees that Ukraine’s sovereignty will never be violated again.
In the last year, the UK has trained 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers so that they are prepared on the battlefield.
In February, Sunak announced that the UK would develop a new training program for Ukrainian pilots to support its efforts to build a new Ukrainian air force using NATO F16 fighter jets.
He The British government has also reported that next month the UK will host a Ukraine Recovery Conference intended to support the reconstruction of Ukraine.
So far in 2023, the The UK has provided equipment including a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanksself-propelled guns, hundreds of armored vehicles and sophisticated missiles, including Starstreak and Storm Shadow.
