The President of Ukraine Volodimir Zelensky will participate this Thursday in a summit of the European Union (EU) in Brusselswhere he will insist that his allies give him fighter jets “as soon as possible” to stop the offensive of the Russian troops.
The Ukrainian leader visited this Wednesday Great Britain and Franceon his second trip abroad since the beginning of the russian invasion almost a year ago.
His presence in the EU summit will be a sign of european solidarity”, declared the German chancellor Olaf Schölzwho joined the meeting this Wednesday night in Paris between Zelensky and the French president Emmanuel Macron.
Earlier, the Ukrainian leader met in London with the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunakvisited parliament and met with the King Charles III.
In both appointments his message was the same: more weapons, especially tofighter jets and long range missilesas well as faster deliveries.
“The sooner Ukraine has long-range heavy weapons, the sooner our pilots have planes, the faster this Russian aggression will end. and we will be able to return to peace in Europe,” Zelensky declared at the Elysee Palace.
So much Emmanuel Macron as Zelenskytraveled together this Thursday from Paris to Brussels to participate in the summit.
The two leaders took off from Villacoublay, near Paris, at 08:30 (local time)
Macron told Zelensky that France is “determined to help Ukraine until victory” and willing to continue handing over weapons. AND Scholz assured that the allies will support Ukraine “as long as it takes”.
In London, together with Sunak, Zelensky stressed “the importance of Ukraine receiving the necessary weapons from the allies to stop the Russian offensive.”
Then, in front of the assembled British parliamentarians in a packed Westminster Hall, the huge room where the burning chapel of Elizabeth II in September, he insisted that these must include fighters.
“I ask you and the world for simple but very important words: fighter jets for Ukraine, wings for freedom,” he said.
“We do not exclude anything”, including the delivery of planes, said Sunak after visiting with Zelensky a military center in Dorset, in the south of England, where the British army trains Ukrainian soldiers.
Sunak indicated that the British Challenger 2 tanks promised by London will be operational “next month” on Ukrainian soil.
Germany recently acceded to sending battle tanks and on Tuesday he announced together with the Netherlands and Denmark that they will deliver “at least 100 Leopard 1 A5 tanks″ in “the next few months”. But other countries that have pledged appear to be dragging their feet.
Since the start of the russian invasion on February 24, 2022, Zelensky had only left Ukraine to visit USA in December.
Experts agree that Russia prepares a major offensive for the end of winter or early spring, with the aim of conquering the entire Donbas, which it now partially occupies.
Updated maps of Russia that include Ukrainian regions which claims to have annexed: Zaporizhzhya, KhersonLugansk and Donetsk.
He United Kingdomhitherto reluctant to supply Ukraine Typhoon and F-35 fighter jetsHe stated that he will study this possibility, although he does not consider it immediate.
“The prime minister has instructed the defense minister to look at what aircraft we could provide, but this is clearly a long-term solution rather than a short-term capability, which is what Ukraine needs most right now,” a spokesman said.
Russia promised “a response to any hostile measures taken by the British side.””, according to a statement released by the country’s news agencies.
London will pay the responsibility of a “bloody harvest” as well as the “political and military consequences that result”, he said.
Last week, Sunak considered that Ukrainian pilots would need “months” or even “years” to learn how to fly the fighters used by NATO countries.
But on Wednesday he proposed expanding the training he already offers to Ukrainian troops in the UK “by extending it to fighter pilots to ensure that Ukraine can defend its airspace in the future.”
He UK gave 2.3 billion pounds (2.8 billion dollars) in military aid to Ukraine in 2022 and promised to maintain the same level this year.
Coinciding with Zelensky’s visit, the British government, which has already sanctioned more than 1,300 Russian individuals and entities since the invasion of Ukraine, strengthened those sanctions to include “six entities supplying military material” and “eight individuals and one entity linked to financial networks” close to the Kremlin.
(With information from AFP)
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Source-www.infobae.com