Zelensky will pay a surprise visit to the UK on Wednesday

• Volodymyr Zelensky will pay an unexpected visit to London.
• Kiev is pushing the West to deploy more arms and military.
• Zelensky will meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and address Parliament.

UK: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will pay an unexpected visit to London on Wednesday, according to Downing Street, at a time when Kiev is pushing the West to deploy more arms and military help to oppose Russian advances.

According to UK sources, Zelensky will meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and address Parliament alongside Ukrainian troops being trained by British forces.

The president’s travel to London is just his second outside of his country since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago, following his December visit to Washington, DC.

The trip comes at a time when Zelensky has been desperately seeking military assistance from Western friends, as Ukrainian officials warn that Moscow is planning a spring onslaught.

Britain stated on Wednesday that it would provide additional military weapons to Kyiv to help repel a potential Russian spring onslaught. Sunak stated that the UK would provide more training to Ukrainian fighter pilots and marines, as well as a long-term investment in Ukraine’s military.

The United Kingdom will begin training Ukrainian pilots on NATO-standard fighter jets. This will be Ukraine’s first official training program on Western fighter aircraft. However, there was no discussion of arming Ukraine with Western fighter planes, as Zelensky has been advocating.

Longer range capabilities

The UK also said it will provide Ukraine with “longer range capabilities,” without going into details.

“The Prime Minister will also offer to provide Ukraine with longer range capabilities,” a Downing Street statement read. “This will disrupt Russia’s ability to continually target Ukraine’s civilian and critical national infrastructure and help relieve pressure on Ukraine’s frontlines.”

NATO countries recently responded to Kyiv’s request for main battle tanks to reinforce its military, which had previously relied on Soviet-era tanks.

In mid-January, the United Kingdom was the first to announce that it would send 12 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. Following weeks of pressure, Germany and the United States announced that they would supply Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams tanks, respectively.

Sunak said: “President Zelensky’s visit to the UK is a testament to his country’s courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries.

“Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces, allowing them to defend their country, protect their sovereignty and fight for their territory.

“I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future.”

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