Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the UK on Monday in a ‘surprise visit’ to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for “substantive negotiations” to secure military more support for his country’s war effort.
The UK on Thursday said that it would supply long-range missiles that Ukraine requested to fight the Russian invasion.
“The UK is a leader when it comes to expanding our capabilities on the ground and in the air. This cooperation will continue today. I will meet my friend Rishi. We will conduct substantive negotiations face-to-face and in delegations,” Zelensky said on Twitter hours before landing in London.
Today – London. The UK is a leader when it comes to expanding our capabilities on the ground and in the air. This cooperation will continue today. I will meet my friend Rishi. We will conduct substantive negotiations face-to-face and in delegations.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 15, 2023
For the past few days, the Ukrainian leader has been meeting several Western leaders in order to jack up support as his country gears up for a counteroffensive against the Russian invading forces.
In a statement issued by No 10 on Monday, Sunak would reiterate the importance of providing a full package of support to Ukraine during the talks at Chequers, the prime minister’s official country residence, reports BBC.
“We must not let them [Ukraine] down,” the prime minister said, adding it was “a crucial moment” in Ukraine’s war effort.
“The front lines of Putin’s war of aggression may be in Ukraine but the fault lines stretch all over the world. It is in all our interest to ensure Ukraine succeeds and Putin’s barbarism is not rewarded,” it said.
The meeting with Sunak comes hours after Zelensky’s Paris visit where met President Emanuel Macron to discuss Ukraine’s military and humanitarian needs.
Ukrainian President Zelensky in France, Paris to provide advanced weaponry to Kyiv
France agreed to provide dozens more light tanks and armoured vehicles for Ukraine’s army, together with training for the soldiers using them.
“In the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with tens of armoured vehicles and light tanks including AMX-10RC,” their joint statement stated.
Paris would also focus its efforts “in supporting Ukraine’s air defence capacities in order to defend its population against Russian strikes”.
A day before landing in Paris, Zelensky also had a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who promised €2.7bn ($2.9bn) worth of weapons.
It includes advanced German Leopard tanks and more anti-aircraft systems to defend Ukraine from almost daily deadly Russian missile and drone attacks.
Zelensky described the new tranche as “the largest since the beginning of the full-scale aggression” by Russia in February 2022.
(With inputs from agencies)
