Zelenskiy met King Charles and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on his second overseas trip since the war began a year ago. Later, he was scheduled to attend a dinner in Paris with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Zelenskiy emphasized his call for combat aircraft, which he referred to as "wings for freedom," in a speech to British lawmakers. Until now, Western nations have not provided aircraft or weapons capable of striking Russia deep within. Sunak stated that "nothing is off the table" when it comes to providing Ukraine with jets to fight Russia at a joint news conference with Zelenskiy later that day.
According to the TASS news agency, the Russian embassy in London issued a warning to London against sending fighter jets to Ukraine, warning that doing so would have global repercussions. Britain announced that it would expand a program of training the Ukrainian military so that its pilots would be able to fly advanced jets that meet the NATO military alliance standard.
The announcement made no commitment to provide British aircraft to Kyiv and offered no timetable. However, it indicated a change that might make it easier for other nations to send planes.
Following a surprise visit to Washington in December, Zelenskiy is going on a tour of Europe that will also include a summit of the European Union in Brussels. His meticulous effort to cultivate Western opinion was demonstrated by his carefully orchestrated schedule of simultaneous meetings with British, French, and German leaders.
Britain revealed plans to acquire additional military equipment for Kyiv, including unspecified longer-range weapons, as well as the addition of new names to its blacklist of sanctions against Russia. Air raid sirens rang out in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, just as Zelenskiy was wrapping up his speech in London. Later, an all-clear was heard.
Scholz of Germany stated that the EU summit this week would likely show strong support for Ukraine as well as a new round of European sanctions against Russia around the anniversary of the invasion. Scholz stated that decisions regarding weapons were best coordinated behind the scenes rather than announced by nations in a "public competition to outdo each other," and that he was publicly more cautious about arms deliveries than some other Western leaders. Scholz stated that decisions regarding weapons were best coordinated behind the scenes rather than announced by nations in a "public competition to outdo each other," and that he was publicly more cautious about arms deliveries than some other Western leaders.
Western nations have increased their aid pledges, including the offer of tanks last month. Both warplanes and longer-range missiles are still desired by Kyiv.
Russia has regained momentum by deploying tens of thousands of newly mobilized troops to the front after significant gains made by Ukraine in the second half of 2022. In the endless winter battles, which both sides describe as some of the bloodiest of the war, they have made incremental progress. As the anniversary of the invasion approaches on Feb. 24, Kyiv states that it anticipates Moscow to broaden that offensive with a significant push.
Prosecutors in the Netherlands concluded their investigation into the 2014 downing of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine, stating that there was insufficient evidence to charge Russian President Vladimir Putin. Two Russian agents and a pro-Russian Ukrainian separatist have been found guilty of murder by a Dutch court for the missile strike that killed 298 passengers and crew members. Moscow denies any guilt.
Russia claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian provinces when it launched its "special military operation" last year to combat what it sees as a security threat posed by Ukraine's ties to the West. It asserts that Western aid will prolong the conflict.
According to Ukraine, the West must grant it the ability to drive out Russian forces in order to put an end to the fighting. Ukraine wants the most Western fighter aircraft. Air superiority over Ukraine is not enjoyed by either Kiev or Moscow.
British officials have stated that their jets require too much training to be useful at this time, and U.S. President Joe Biden stated last month that Washington would not send F-16s to Ukraine. As part of a collective Western decision, France and Poland are among the nations that have kept the possibility of sending jets open.
In the coming days, it is anticipated that the United States will announce a $2 billion weapons package that will include new rockets equipped with gliding bombs that double the range of the rockets it sent out last year. This would place all of Russia's supply lines in mainland Ukraine and a portion of the Crimean peninsula that Russia has annexed within firing range.
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