“UK Commits to Supplying Ukraine with Hundreds of Advanced Attack Drones in Support of Zelenskyy’s ‘Jets Coalition'”
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has discussed military aid with UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak, and has expressed a desire to create a “jets coalition” to help control the skies.
The UK has pledged to send hundreds of new long-range attack drones to Ukraine, and will also begin training Ukrainian pilots to use Western fighter jets.
The prime minister revealed that the pair discussed “long-term” security arrangements from allied countries for Ukraine, as its troops prepare for a counteroffensive against Russia’s invading forces. The Ukrainian president is currently on a multi-stop European tour seeking increased support from allies.
Downing Street said the weapons were “critical in helping the country defend against the relentless bombardment of their national infrastructure” by Vladimir Putin’s army.
Mr Sunak said: “This is a crucial moment in Ukraine’s resistance to a terrible war of aggression they did not choose or provoke. They need the sustained support of the international community to defend against the barrage of unrelenting and indiscriminate attacks that have been their daily reality for over a year. We must not let them down.”
He compared Mr Zelensky’s wartime leadership to Winston Churchill as he welcomed the Ukrainian president to his country residence. Mr Sunak added: “You are actually the first foreign leader I have had the privilege of welcoming here as Prime Minister and there’s a lot of great history here.
Mr Zelensky thanked the UK Government, the King and the British people for their support.
The president added that Monday’s talks would cover “very important issues [and] urgent support” for his country.
The meeting comes after Britain last week agreed to provide Storm Shadow precision missiles to Ukraine — the first long-range cruise missile in the country’s arsenal — on top of the £2.3 billion worth of military support the UK pledged last year.
The Government also provided more details of the flying school for Ukrainian fighter jet pilots set to begin in Britain this summer.
The elementary flying phase is for cohorts of Ukrainian pilots to learn basic training and goes “hand in hand” with UK efforts to work with other countries on providing F16 jets, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed that the UK has no plans to send fighter jets of its own to Ukraine.
Monday’s visit follows Mr Zelensky’s trip to London in February, when he met King Charles III and addressed MPs in Westminster Hall. It is also the president’s latest stop on a tour of European capitals as he seeks to bolster support for a Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Original article - https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/rishi-sunak-volodymyr-zelensky-visit-london-ukraine-war-russia-uk-negotiations-b1081057.html