By JILL LAWLESS and SYLVIE CORBET
PARIS (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought Western assist for his nation in shock visits to Britain and France on Wednesday, pushing for fighter jets to battle Russian invaders in a dramatic speech to the U.Ok. Parliament, after which flying to Paris to satisfy the French and German leaders over dinner on the Elysee Palace.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy will be part of EU leaders at a summit in Brussels, which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described as a “signal of European solidarity and community.”
Zelenskyy’s European tour and pleas for extra superior weapons got here as Ukraine braces for an anticipated Russian offensive and hatches its personal plans to retake land held by Moscow’s forces. Western assist has been key to Kyiv’s surprisingly stiff protection, and the 2 sides are engaged in grinding battles.
Zelenskyy thanked the British individuals for his or her assist since “Day One” of Moscow’s invasion practically a 12 months in the past, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned fighter jets had been “part of the conversation” about support to Ukraine.
“Nothing is off the table,” he mentioned at a night information convention at a British military base. “We must arm Ukraine in the short term, but we must bolster Ukraine for the long term.”
Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine wants every kind of provides, not simply planes, but in addition ammunition and long-range missiles
“Without this, there would be stagnation which will not bring to anything good,” he mentioned, calling his go to to Britain “very fruitful.”
Then it was off to Paris for dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and Scholz, the German chancellor.
Zelenskyy was greeted Wednesday evening on the steps of the Elysee Palace with a pleasant embrace by Macron, after which all three leaders headed inside. The go to marks a turnaround in Zelenskyy’s relations towards France and Germany, which earlier within the warfare had been seen by many in Ukraine as not doing sufficient to assist.
“Ukraine can count on France, its European partners and allies to win the war. Russia cannot and must not win,” Macron mentioned earlier than their working dinner. Macron’s workplace put out an announcement confirming that Zelenskyy would attend Thursday’s summit in Brussels, the place EU leaders will pledge their assist for the Ukrainian individuals.
Zelenskyy’s journey to European capitals on Wednesday was simply his second international journey since Russia invaded on Feb, 24, 2022. In December, he traveled to Washington to satisfy with President Joe Biden and tackle the U.S. Congress.
His day started when he arrived on a Royal Air Force aircraft in London and was greeted on the tarmac with an embrace from Sunak. They held talks on the prime minister’s 10 Downing St. residence earlier than Zelenskyy’s speech to lawmakers within the 900-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest — and, on a chilly winter day, unheated — a part of Parliament.
“London has stood with Kyiv since Day One,” he mentioned, repeatedly thanking Britons for his or her support. The U.Ok. has despatched Ukraine greater than 2 billion kilos ($2.5 billion) in weapons and tools,
Wearing his trademark olive drab sweatshirt, he urged allies to ship jets to Ukraine, saying fight plane could be “wings for freedom.”
In a dramatic gesture, Zelenskyy introduced the speaker of the House of Commons with a Ukrainian air pressure helmet, inscribed by a Ukrainian pilot: “We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it.”
The president was attempting to melt allies’ reluctance to ship superior fighter jets, each as a result of they’re complicated to fly and for concern of escalating the warfare.
The U.Ok. has repeatedly mentioned it’s not sensible to supply Ukraine with British warplanes. But in a shift, the federal government mentioned Wednesday it was “actively looking” at whether or not Ukraine might be despatched Western jets, and was “in discussion with our allies” about it.
Britain additionally mentioned it will prepare Ukrainian pilots in Britain on “NATO-standard fighter jets” inside weeks.
Sunak spokesman Max Blain mentioned the federal government was exploring “what jets we may be able to give” over the approaching years, however had not decided on whether or not to ship its F-35 or Typhoons.
“We think it is right to provide both short-term equipment … that can help win the war now, but also look to the medium to long term to make sure Ukraine has every possible capacity it requires,” he mentioned.
Ukraine has sought Western fighter jets since early within the warfare to bolster its pressure of Soviet-made MiG-29 and Su fighters. The success of its air pressure in defending its skies and territory regardless of Russia’s greater numbers helped push again Moscow’s preliminary assault.
The Russian Embassy in London strongly warned the U.Ok. in opposition to supplying the warplanes, saying Britain would bear accountability “for another twist of escalation and the ensuing military-political consequences for the European continent and the entire world.”
Macron has mentioned France hasn’t dominated out sending fighter jets however set circumstances, together with not resulting in an escalation of tensions or utilizing the plane “to touch Russian soil,” and never leading to weakening “the capacities of the French army.”
Sunak and Zelenskyy flew by helicopter to Lulworth Camp, a base in southwest England, the place they met Ukrainian troops being educated on the Challenger 2 tanks the U.Ok. is sending as a part of the a whole bunch that Kyiv says it wants. More than 10,000 Ukrainian troops have been educated within the U.Ok., and Britain says it would prepare 20,000 extra in 2023.
“I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future,” Sunak mentioned.
Zelenskyy additionally went to Buckingham Palace, the place he met with King Charles III, who greeted him with a broad smile and a heat handshake earlier than that they had tea. The king instructed the president that “we’ve all been worried about you and thinking about your country for so long.”
In his Parliament speech, Zelenskyy famous that Charles was a certified navy pilot.
“The king is an air force pilot,” Zekenskyy mentioned, and “in Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a king.”
Zelenskyy was greeted with applause, cheers and cries of “Slava Ukraini” — “Glory to Ukraine” — as he arrived in Parliament, the place his trigger has broad assist.
He had addressed the U.Ok. Parliament remotel y in March, two weeks after the beginning of the invasion. He echoed World War II chief Winston Churchill’s well-known “never surrender” speech, vowing that Ukrainians “will fight till the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost.”
On Wednesday, he recalled how on a prewar go to to London, he sat in Churchill’s chair in his subterranean wartime headquarters, and had a sense that solely now he understands: “It was the feeling of how bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory.”
In previous wars, “evil lost,” he instructed U.Ok. lawmakers. “We know Russia will lose and we we all know victory will change the world.″
He additionally urged stronger sanctions in opposition to Moscow till “Russia is deprived of any possibility to finance this war.”
Coinciding with the go to, the U.Ok. authorities introduced new sanctions in opposition to six entities that Britain mentioned provided tools to the Russian navy. CST, a producer of Russian drones and components for helicopters used in opposition to Ukraine, had been amongst them.
The London go to got here as Russian forces shelled areas of jap Ukraine in what Kyiv authorities consider is a part of a thrust by the Kremlin’s forces earlier than the invasion anniversary. Moscow, in the meantime, believes Ukraine is getting ready its personal battlefield push.
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Lawless reported from London. Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui in London and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.
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Follow the AP’s protection of the warfare at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Source: www.bostonherald.com”