In a surprise visit, Zelensky, in a surprise visit, accompanied the prime minister to the bilateral meeting, aimed at addressing Ukraine’s immediate military needs and the country’s “long-term” security to defend against “future Russian aggression”. Traveled by military helicopter to Checkers country residence.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting on the outskirts of London on Monday during which they agreed a new military aid package to Ukraine, including combat drones and air defense missiles, official sources said. .
In a surprise visit, Zelensky, in a surprise visit, accompanied the prime minister to the bilateral meeting, aimed at addressing Ukraine’s immediate military needs and the country’s “long-term” security to defend against “future Russian aggression”. Traveled by military helicopter to Checkers country residence.
According to Downing Street, the United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with long-range drones with a range of 200 kilometers, which will be delivered in the coming months as the country prepares to bolster its resistance to Russian aggression.
In today’s meeting, Zelensky reiterated the importance of the fighter jets as his country does not control its airspace.
In a brief statement to the media after the meeting, Sunak said that the UK remained “firm” in its support for Ukraine and that the delivery of the fighter jets would not be easy as it would also require the training of Ukrainian pilots and the logistics to control them. Is. airplane.
He said, “One of the topics of our conversation today is about the long-term security issues that we need to establish between allied countries to ensure that it can defend itself and protect itself against future Russian aggression.” provide an effective deterrent against
On Western fighters, Zelensky stressed that “very important decisions” in this regard would be made soon.
“Today we talk about airplanes. It is a very important issue for us because we cannot control the sky,” Zelensky said, noting that Ukraine and the UK are “true partners.”
After the meeting, Sunak wrote on his Twitter account that the UK would open “a new flight school” that would “provide Ukrainian pilots with the necessary training to handle various types of aircraft, allowing them to better defend their citizens against Russian aggression”. Will be able to
Later, a Downing Street spokesman said in a statement that the prime minister “reiterated that the UK will continue to offer its support to Ukraine to ensure a just and lasting peace.”
“This includes providing immediate military assistance and long-term security assistance to ensure Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression,” the spokesman said.
The prime minister stressed that he would join world leaders “at this critical moment” at the Council of Europe in Iceland and at the G7 summit in Japan in the coming days to stress the importance of maintaining global support for Ukraine. Take advantage of your meetings. pointed to the same source.
The surprise visit came after Zelensky held meetings with leaders in Rome, Berlin and Paris.
Last week, the British government confirmed it would send long-range conventional “Storm Shadow” missiles to Ukraine.
According to official sources, military equipment provided by the United Kingdom should be reinforced with training and sanctions against the Russian regime, as well as guarantees that Ukraine’s sovereignty will never be violated again.
Last year Britain trained 15,000 soldiers from Ukraine to be ready for the battlefield.
In February, Sunak announced that the UK would develop a new training program for Ukrainian pilots to support its efforts to create a new Ukrainian air force using NATO F16 fighter jets.
The British government also revealed that next month, the United Kingdom would host a Ukraine recovery conference aimed at supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine.
So far in 2023, the UK has provided equipment including a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks, self-propelled guns, hundreds of armored vehicles and sophisticated missiles including the Starstreak and Storm Shadow.
