Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has promised Ukraine “hundreds” of anti-aircraft missiles and long-range attack drones so it can defend itself against Russian aggression.
Ukrainian President visits London
Zelensky traveled to Britain after visiting Italy, Germany and France and receiving fresh promises of military aid as Ukraine prepares for a long-awaited retaliatory offensive against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Dressed in his trademark military garb, he found himself at Chequers, the country residence of British prime ministers about 40 miles northwest of London, accompanied by Sunak, who greeted him with a big hug.
At the start of the meeting, Zelensky thanked the UK for its support of Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. “We are deeply grateful; from Ukrainians, from our soldiers, thank you.” Said.
He said the two leaders were to talk about “immediate support for Ukraine”.
The talks are taking place on the eve of a meeting of the Council of Europe’s leaders in Iceland, which Zelensky will address virtually, and a G7 summit in Japan.
“This is a critical moment in Ukraine’s resistance to the war of aggression that was neither chosen nor instigated,” Sunak said in a statement. “We should not let them down,” he added.
“The front lines of Putin’s war of aggression may be in Ukraine, but fault lines stretch across the globe,” he stressed. “We all have a stake in Ukraine to succeed and for Putin’s barbarism not to be rewarded.”
Britain has promised to deliver missiles and attack drones to Ukraine
The British government said that during the meeting, Sunak would “confirm the additional supply by the United Kingdom of hundreds of air defense missiles and more unmanned aerial systems, including hundreds of new attack drones with a range of more than 200 km.”
“All of them will be delivered in the coming months as Ukraine prepares to step up resistance to Russian aggression,” he said.
The UK last week became the first Western country to offer a long-range cruise missile, the Storm Shadow rocket, to Ukraine.
After Washington, London is the second largest provider of military aid to Ukraine, including training for its pilots but not the fighters Zelensky is demanding.
