Zelenskyy pushes for fighter jets in UK Parliament speech
LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed for fighter jets to ensure his country’s victory over Russia in a dramatic speech before the U.K. Parliament, where he also thanked the British people for their support since “Day One” of Moscow’s invasion.
The embattled leader’s surprise visit to Britain in a bid for more advanced weapons comes as Ukraine braces for an expected Russian offensive and hatches its own plans to retake land held by Moscow’s forces.
At a joint news conference at a British army base, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said fighter jets were “part of the conversation” about aid to Ukraine.
“Nothing is off the table,” he said. “We must arm Ukraine in the short term, but we must bolster Ukraine for the long term.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs all kinds of supplies, not just planes, but also ammunition and long-range missiles.
“Without this, there would be stagnation which will not bring to anything good,” he said, calling his visit “very fruitful.”
It was only Zelenskyy’s second foreign trip since Russia invaded last Feb. 24, after a December visit to Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris later in the day.
Hundreds of lawmakers and parliamentary staff had packed the 900-yearold Westminster Hall for Zelenskyy’s speech.
Zelenskyy thanked Britons for their bravery, adding: “London has stood with Kyiv since Day One.”
Wearing his trademark olive drab sweatshirt, he urged allies to send his country jets, saying combat aircraft would be “wings for freedom.”
In a pointed and dramatic gesture, Zelenskyy presented the speaker of the House of Commons with a Ukrainian air force helmet, inscribed by a Ukrainian pilot: “We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it.”
The president is trying to soften allies’ reluctance to send advanced fighter jets, both because they are complex to fly and for fear of escalating the war.
The Russian Embassy in London strongly warned the U.K. against supplying warplanes to Ukraine, saying Britain would bear responsibility “for another twist of escalation and the ensuing military-political consequences for the European continent and the entire world.”
Macron has said France hasn’t ruled out sending fighter jets but set conditions, including not leading to an escalation of tensions or using the aircraft “to touch Russian soil,” and not weakening “the capacities of the French army.”
Zelenskyy also went to Buckingham Palace, where he met with King Charles III, who told him, “we’ve all been worried about you and thinking about your country for so long.”
The London visit came as Russian forces shelled areas of eastern Ukraine in what Kyiv authorities believe is part of a thrust by the Kremlin’s forces before the invasion anniversary.