Give Zelensky his wings
IT’S HARD to define what a great leader is – until you see one. And this week under the ancient beams of Westminster Hall, we saw one of the greatest in the form of Volodymyr Zelensky. He’s shorter in stature than even Rishi Sunak but, once he started to talk, it was clear that this was a giant among men.
It’s no wonder his people would follow him to hell and back – and arguably already have. He came to Britain this week, his heart bursting with gratitude, humility and respect for what the UK has done – and is still doing – for his beleaguered country. He spoke movingly of how we had been with him from the second the war started.
He spoke with enormous warmth about Boris Johnson, who he rightly said had got other countries united behind Ukraine when it seemed impossible. He spoke about being honoured that he had an audience with King Charles and how our King was an air force pilot and that every air force pilot in Ukraine was a king (I wept then).
All the while he spoke, blood was still being spilled in his beloved Ukraine. It has to stop, not just for the sake of his country and its people – although that’s reason enough – but for the safety of the rest of the world as well.
The only way that’s ever going to happen is if the West pulls its collective fingers out and gives him the weapons he needs to win against Russia, which is currently planning another big assault.
This great man was literally begging for fighter planes – “wings for freedom” he called them – not just to force Russians back but to protect Western tanks as well as troops, civilians and what’s left standing in Ukraine. But there’s no point in giving him planes, tanks and weapons in dribs and drabs or when the war is over.
He must be given what he needs now to finish the job otherwise the slaughter will drag on for years. Which will increase the danger to us all. Vladimir Putin invaded and tried to destroy a country for no other reason than it wanted democracy and freedom. What’s to stop him doing it elsewhere if he wins this war? Zelensky was in Brussels yesterday to also beg the EU for help but, like everyone else, they’re also dragging their heels. (Had it been up to the EU, Zelensky would have had zilch).
So far Rishi has promised nothing. Ditto the EU. But they must send aircraft NOW, even if it’s only out of self-interest. Because even if European governments don’t care about the needless deaths of Ukrainians, it’s their job to protect their own people from the maniacal Putin who, if he wins this war, will feel emboldened to take whatever other country he wants. The fact is, Britain doesn’t have many combat planes – but we can build more. Ukraine can’t.
Rishi looked terribly pleased with himself this week as he stood shoulder to shoulder alongside a former comedian who out of necessity has become one of the world’s great leaders. Let’s hope he wasn’t using Zelensky and the slaughter in Ukraine as a good photo op to boost his failing popularity here because we will never forgive him for that.He needs to give Zelensky his “wings” – for all our sakes!
#SlavaUkraini