- By Kate Whannell
- Political correspondent, BBC News
President Zelensky: On behalf of Ukrainians, thank you Britain
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table” after Volodymyr Zelensky urged the UK to provide Ukraine with fighter jets.
The president of Ukraine, who visited the UK for the first time since the invasion of Russia, expressed gratitude for the equipment received so far.
But he warned that supplies were “running out” and that this could lead to “stagnation” in the conflict.
The UK will begin training Ukrainian forces to fly Nato-standard jets.
Downing Street said Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was investigating what aircraft the UK might offer, but stressed it was “a long-term solution”.
President Zelensky’s surprise visit to the UK began with meetings in Downing Street, after which he addressed a number of MPs and colleagues in the historic setting of Westminster Hall.
“Freedom will win – we know Russia will be defeated,” he told the audience, adding the UK would join his country in a march to “the most important victory of our lives”.
Thanking the UK for “grit”, he said that the country, through its support for Ukraine, did not compromise the “spirit and values of these great islands”.
He also singled out Boris Johnson for praise, saying the former prime minister pulled others together “when it seemed impossible”.
During his speech, which was met with applause throughout, the Ukrainian leader presented the House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle with the helmet of a Ukrainian pilot.
The writing on the helmet reads: “We have freedom, give us wings to protect it.”
Reflecting on his last visit to the UK, in 2020, he recalled thanking his hosts “for the delicious English tea”.
“I will leave Parliament today, thanking you all for the mighty English planes.”
Mr Johnson echoed his calls in a statement saying: “It is time to give the Ukrainians the extra equipment they need to defeat Putin and to restore peace in Ukraine. That means more high missiles and artillery, it means more tanks, it means planes.”
The day began with a commitment from the UK to help train Ukrainian pilots.
But after an impassioned request by Zelensky for their own fighter jets, that promise has gradually shifted.
The PM has now ordered the defense secretary to look into ways the UK could provide Ukraine with fighter jets.
The RAF has a limited number of aircraft it could theoretically provide to Ukraine – including about 20 aging Typhoon jets.
However, there is a risk that Britain is writing checks that it will struggle to cash.
The RAF is already facing a backlog in training its own fast jet pilots, the maintenance and upkeep of older aircraft is also more difficult.
Even the prime minister admitted that if Britain were to supply fast jets, it would be for the longer term not the immediate future.
As the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches, Western countries are considering how to bolster support for Ukraine, with the country preparing for a renewed Russian offensive later this month.
The expansion of the UK’s training program marks a shift, after the UK said it was “impractical” for it to send its aircraft to Ukraine.
Earlier this year, the UK also announced that it would send 14 battle tanks to Ukraine. President Zelensky praised Mr Sunak for taking this “strong defensive step”.
President Zelensky was applauded throughout his speech by an audience that included Rishi Sunak, Labor leader Keir Starmer, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and Lib Dem’s Ed Davey.
In his speech to Parliament, he also urged the UK and the West to continue imposing sanctions “until Russia is deprived of any possibility of spending on war”.
“Whoever invests in terror must be held accountable, whoever invests in violence must pay to those who suffer terror.”
On Wednesday, the UK announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia.
The latest sanctions target IT companies, as well as manufacturers of military equipment such as drones and helicopter parts.
After speaking in Parliament, President Zelensky met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
On Wednesday afternoon he joined the prime minister on a visit to the southwest where Ukrainian troops are training to use Challenger 2 tanks.
The two men signed the London Declaration – a statement confirming the UK-Ukraine partnership – before holding a joint press conference.
Later, he is expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
Before their meeting, President Zelensky said that he would like to express to King Charles of Ukraine thanks for his support
‘The real deal’
Political reporter Brian Wheeler from Westminster Hall
“He’s the real deal. You don’t get many leaders like that in the world.”
Labour’s Stephen Doughty – like many who packed Westminster Hall – was left in awe of President Zelensky’s speech.
One or two were overcome with emotion, wiping away tears as they listened to his passionate words, delivered entirely in English.
For Mr Doughty, a member of the all-party group on Ukraine, who visited the country recently, Mr Zelensky’s “V for victory” sign at the end of his speech was the most powerful moment.
The president made a reference to Sir Winston Churchill, as he often does when addressing a British audience.
But it is the fact that Mr Zelensky is bathed in sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows that is a memorial to those lost in two world wars that will stick with the Labor MP.
“The symbolism of that is immeasurable,” he said.
