war against Ukraine
A kingdom for fighter jets: Selenskyj with a request in London
President Volodymyr Zelenskyj presented Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle (l) with a pilot’s helmet as a gift – and thanked him for “powerful English aircraft”. photo
© Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/dpa
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has traveled abroad. His target this time: the important ally Great Britain. In a speech before Parliament, he makes it clear what he hopes for above all.
“In Great Britain, the king is a fighter pilot, in Ukraine today every fighter pilot is a king”: What Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was most likely concerned with during his surprise visit to the United Kingdom, he lifted himself at the end of his speech in Parliament in London.
In front of hundreds of parliamentarians in the venerable Westminster Hall, Selenksky – in his usual olive green sweater – thanked the British and their government for their support. This was there from the first day of the invasion, he emphasized – and earned great applause.
Earlier, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted on driving to London’s Stansted Airport and personally greeting Zelenskyy on British soil. Arm in arm, like close friends, the allies began meeting on the tarmac.
Later Zelenskyj by King Charles III. received at Buckingham Palace. A visit by Ukrainian soldiers being trained by the British Army was also on the agenda. In the evening we went on to Paris – to a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Élysée Palace.
Great Britain is considered one of Kiev’s closest supporters in the fight against the Russian war of aggression and, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, is the second most important arms supplier to Ukraine after the USA. Again and again it was London that pushed ahead with the delivery of new types of weapons – most recently with its Challenger 2 main battle tanks. The pioneering role had put other allies, not least Germany, under pressure.
Selenskyj thanks in advance for fighter jets
Zelenskyj made it clear that he would also like London to play a leading role when it comes to combat aircraft. He thanked in advance for “capable English aircraft” and presented Speaker of Commons Lindsay Hoyle with a pilot’s helmet as a gift. Sunak later said he had asked the Defense Ministry to check the availability of fighter jets. But it is a “long-term” solution, it said from the seat of government Downing Street.
At a press conference in the evening, Sunak announced that the British Challenger 2 main battle tank is to be deployed in Ukraine as early as March. However, he did not allow himself to be carried away to a commitment for fighter jets. But there are talks about longer-range missiles to help Kyiv protect civilians. Zelenskyy stressed the importance of missiles to ward off the threat posed by drones.
After a trip to the USA with a stopover in Poland, the visit to Great Britain is only the second publicly known trip abroad since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression almost a year ago. After London and Paris, he is also expected as a guest at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.
(Short) relief for Sunak?
The close relationship between Kyiv and London developed at the time of Sunak’s predecessor, Boris Johnson, who made several trips to the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv made him an honorary citizen, a café in the capital named a dessert after Johnson, and a hotel in Lviv decorated its rooms with pictures of the former prime minister. Sunak, who has headed the British government since October, has already traveled to Kyiv.
For the Brit, the high-ranking visit to London comes at a fortunate time: Recently, scandals in his own cabinet made the headlines. Next to Selenskyj, on the other hand, Sunak can present himself as a statesman. Johnson’s resolute support for Ukraine has also repeatedly helped through politically delicate phases. However, the political scientist Anand Menon from King’s College in London does not expect that Sunak will be able to draw on it for long – especially since Johnson has already spoken out in favor of the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine.
Initially only training for Ukrainian soldiers
During the visit, London initially announced that it would expand its training program for Ukrainian soldiers. According to Sunak, fighter pilots and marines will also be trained in the future. This should also enable Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO fighter jets in the future – which should further fuel the debate about possible deliveries of such machines from Western countries.
So far, France has been more open to this than Germany and other countries. A British advance could further boost Sunak’s standing in Ukraine. After all, the Kiev café Zavertailo now sells a croissant called “Rischi Sunakowytsch” for the equivalent of 3.37 euros. The “Boris Johnsonjuk” was available last year for the equivalent of about three euros.