Effy.- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting in the suburbs of London on Monday, in which they agreed to provide a new military aid package to Ukraine that includes combat drones and air defense missiles, official sources said.
In a surprise visit, Zelensky traveled by military helicopter to Chequers, the prime minister's country residence, for this bilateral meeting, which aims to address Ukraine's immediate military needs and the country's “longer-term” security to defend against “future Russian aggressions.”
The United Kingdom will supply Ukraine with long-range drones, capable of covering 200 kilometres, which will be delivered in the coming months as this country prepares to intensify resistance to the Russian invasion, according to Downing Street.
In today's meeting, Zelensky stressed the importance of possessing combat aircraft because his country does not control its airspace.
In brief comments to the media after the meeting, Sunak said the UK remained “steadfast” in its support for Ukraine and that delivering the fighter jets was not easy as it required training of Ukrainian pilots as well as the logistics of controlling those planes.
He added: “One of the topics of the conversation we had today relates to the long-term security issues that we must resolve among allied countries to ensure their ability to defend themselves and provide effective deterrence against Russian aggression in the future.”
Regarding Western combat aircraft, Zelensky stressed that “very important decisions” in this regard will soon be made.
“Today we are talking about aircraft. It is a very important issue for us because we cannot control the sky,” Zelensky said, stressing that Ukraine and the United Kingdom are “true partners.”
After the meeting, Sunak wrote on his Twitter account that the UK would open a “new flying school” that would “provide Ukrainian pilots with the training they need to handle different types of aircraft, allowing them to better defend their citizens against Russian aggression.” “.
is reading: Biden will ask the G7 to impose an almost complete veto on exports to Russia
The UK will provide combat drones to Ukraine as part of its military aid
A Downing Street spokesman later said in a statement that the Prime Minister “confirmed that the UK will continue to provide its support to ensure that Ukraine achieves a just and lasting peace.”
“This includes immediate military support and the provision of long-term security assistance to ensure Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression,” the spokesman said.
The Prime Minister stressed that he will use his meetings with world leaders in the coming days at the Council of Europe in Iceland and the G7 summit in Japan to stress the importance of maintaining global support for Ukraine “at this crucial moment.” “The same source indicated.
Zelensky made this surprise visit after holding meetings with leaders in Rome, Berlin and Paris.
The British government confirmed last week that it would send long-range conventional “Storm Shadow” missiles to Ukraine.
According to official sources, the military equipment provided by the United Kingdom must be reinforced with training and sanctions against the Russian regime, as well as guarantees that Ukraine's sovereignty will never be violated again.
Last year, the UK trained 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers to be ready for the battlefield.
In February, Sunak announced that the UK would develop a new training program for Ukrainian pilots to support its efforts to build a new Ukrainian air force with NATO F16 fighter jets.
The British government also stated that next month the UK will host the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which aims to support the reconstruction of Ukraine.
So far in 2023, the UK has provided equipment including a squadron of Challenger 2 battle tanks, self-propelled guns, hundreds of armored vehicles and advanced missiles including Starstreak and Storm Shadow.
“Creator. Devoted pop culture specialist. Certified web fanatic. Unapologetic coffee lover.”