Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday during his latest stop on a European tour advocating for his country.
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Zelenskyy and promised his country’s firm commitment to strengthening Ukraine during the war, reported The Associated Press. The country committed to both long-term training efforts and more immediate relief by committing to send more weapons to aid in the fight against Russia.
Welcome back, @ZelenskyyUa 🇬🇧🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/ph57ZoUHpC
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 15, 2023
“Your leadership, your country’s bravery and fortitude are an inspiration to us all,” Sunak told Zelenskyy, per AP.
The U.K. said in a statement that the country is planning to provide Ukraine’s first long-range cruise missiles — which can reach distances of up to 150 miles, per AP.
Sunak tweeted an update that included long-range attack drones, a new flying school in the United Kingdom and a “Ukraine Recovery Conference” on the list of aid that the country expects to support Ukraine with.
“We must not let Ukraine down,” Sunak wrote.
Zelenskyy spoke with the prime minister about acquiring fighter jets, “because we can’t control the sky,” per the BBC. That request was denied for now because it was not “a straightforward thing,” Sunak said.
The Ukrainian leader also visited France, Germany and Italy on his trip, meeting with officials including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Pope Francis and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, reported by AP.
In a tweet, Zelenskyy thanked the countries for helping Ukraine by offering “weapons for our warriors.”
It was another powerful day for our defense, for our international positions.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 14, 2023
I thank Mr. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Mr. Chancellor Olaf Scholz @Bundeskanzler and the German 🇩🇪 people for the powerful defense package, for their leadership in defending lives from Russian… pic.twitter.com/NYSDdC2u4h