Zelensky secures ‘jets coalition’ on flying visit
Hug from Rishi and a promise of extra drones and missiles
RISHI Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday announced a bid to create a ‘jets coalition’ to give Ukraine vital air defences.
On the latest leg of his tour of Europe, Ukrainian president Mr Zelensky held talks with the Prime Minister at his country retreat Chequers in Buckinghamshire.
In addition to backing Mr Zelensky’s call to arms, Mr Sunak vowed to work with allies to secure the planes which Ukraine needs.
While Britain has no plans to supply any of its own jets, a new flying school will help train Kyiv’s pilots.
The Government said an ‘elementary
‘Our two countries are real partners’
flying phase’ for groups of Ukrainian pilots would begin this summer.
It will adapt the programme used by UK pilots to give them skills they can apply to different kinds of aircraft.
Mr Sunak also pledged to send hundreds of air defence missiles and further unmanned aerial systems to the war-torn country.
The Ukrainian president said the two countries were ‘real partners’. He added: ‘We want to create this jets coalition and I’m very positive with it.
‘We spoke about it and I see that in the closest time you will hear some, I think, very important decisions but we have to work a little bit more on it.’
Ukraine is seeking F-16 jets used by many Nato members – but not the UK – as it shifts away from Soviet-era planes towards Western military equipment.
When Mr Zelensky visited the UK in February, he pleaded with Western nations for jets and called for ‘wings for freedom’.
At the time, the UK was under pressure from supporters of Mr Zelensky – including former prime minister Boris Johnson – to hand over British Typhoon jets. But officials questioned how suitable they would be, given the length of training required to fly them and the logistical support needed on the ground.
Yesterday Mr Sunak said the prospect of training Ukrainian pilots with Nato tactics was ‘ an important part of the longterm relationship between our countries’.
The Prime Minister said the UK would be ‘ training Ukrainian citizens to be absolutely combatready aircraft pilots’.
He added: ‘It is not a straightforward thing – as Volodymyr and I have been discussing – to build up that fighter combat aircraft capability. It’s not just the provision of planes, it’s also the training of pilots and all the logistics that go alongside that and the UK can play a big part in that.
‘One thing we will be doing, starting relatively soon, is training Ukrainian pilots and that’s something we’ve discussed today and we’re ready to implement those plans in relatively short order.’
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The Ukrainian government has made the decision to train their pilots on F-16 jets, that’s a decision for them.
‘Obviously, I believe, they are in discussions with other countries who use those jets and we are working with those countries.’
Mr Zelensky arrived in Britain after meetings in Paris, Berlin and Rome. He has now visited London twice since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, with his first trip three months ago. The latest visit came two days after Liverpool hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of his country.
The package of military assistance also includes long- range attack drones with a range of more than 200 kilometres (124 miles). The new equipment will be delivered over the coming months.
The UK has also recently promised long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Kyiv.
The meeting came at the start of a week of intense diplomatic activity. Mr Sunak will attend a Council of Europe summit in Iceland, with Mr Zelensky joining virtually, before heading to Japan for the G7 gathering in Hiroshima.