PARIS (AP) 鈥� Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought Western support for his country in surprise visits to Britain and France on Wednesday, pushing for fighter jets to battle Russian invaders in a dramatic speech to the U.K. Parliament, and then flying to Paris to meet the French and German leaders over dinner at the Elysee Palace.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy will join EU leaders at a summit in Brussels, which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described as a 鈥渟ignal of European solidarity and community.鈥�
Zelenskyy's European tour and pleas for more advanced weapons came as Ukraine braces for an and hatches its own plans to retake land held by Moscow's forces. Western support has been key to Kyiv's surprisingly stiff defense, and the two sides are engaged in grinding battles.
Zelenskyy thanked the British people for their support since 鈥淒ay One鈥� of Moscow鈥檚 invasion nearly a year ago, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said fighter jets were 鈥減art of the conversation鈥� about aid to Ukraine.
鈥淣othing is off the table,鈥� he said at an evening news conference at a British army base. "We must arm Ukraine in the short term, but we must bolster Ukraine for the long term.鈥�
Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs all kinds of supplies, not just planes, but also ammunition and long-range missiles
鈥淲ithout this, there would be stagnation which will not bring to anything good,鈥� he said, calling his visit to Britain 鈥渧ery fruitful.鈥�
Then it was off to Paris for dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and Scholz, the German chancellor.
Zelenskyy was greeted Wednesday night on the steps of the Elysee Palace with a friendly embrace by Macron, and then all three leaders headed inside. The visit marks a turnaround in Zelenskyy鈥檚 relations toward France and Germany, which earlier in the war were viewed by many in Ukraine as not doing enough to help.
鈥淯kraine can count on France, its European partners and allies to win the war. Russia cannot and must not win,鈥� Macron said before their working dinner. Macron鈥檚 office put out a statement confirming that Zelenskyy would attend Thursday's summit in Brussels, where EU leaders will pledge their support for the Ukrainian people.
Zelenskyy鈥檚 travel to European capitals on Wednesday was just his second foreign trip since Russia invaded on Feb, 24, 2022. In December, he traveled to Washington to meet with President Joe Biden and address the U.S. Congress.
His day began when he arrived on a Royal Air Force plane in London and was greeted on the tarmac with an embrace from Sunak. They held talks at the prime minister鈥檚 10 Downing St. residence before Zelenskyy鈥檚 speech to lawmakers in the 900-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest 鈥� and, on a cold winter day, unheated 鈥� part of Parliament.
鈥淟ondon has stood with Kyiv since Day One,鈥� he said, repeatedly thanking Britons for their aid. The U.K. has sent Ukraine more than 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) in weapons and equipment,
Wearing his trademark olive drab sweatshirt, he urged allies to deliver jets to Ukraine, saying combat aircraft would be 鈥渨ings for freedom.鈥�
In a dramatic gesture, Zelenskyy presented the speaker of the House of Commons with a Ukrainian air force helmet, inscribed by a Ukrainian pilot: 鈥淲e have freedom. Give us wings to protect it.鈥�
The president was trying to soften allies鈥� reluctance to send advanced fighter jets, both because they are complex to fly and for fear of escalating the war.
The U.K. has repeatedly said it鈥檚 not practical to provide Ukraine with British warplanes. But in a shift, the government said Wednesday it was 鈥渁ctively looking鈥� at whether Ukraine could be sent Western jets, and was 鈥渋n discussion with our allies鈥� about it.
Britain also said it would train Ukrainian pilots in Britain on 鈥淣ATO-standard fighter jets鈥� within weeks.
Sunak spokesman Max Blain said the government was exploring 鈥渨hat jets we may be able to give鈥� over the coming years, but had not made a decision on whether to send its F-35 or Typhoons.
鈥淲e think it is right to provide both short-term equipment 鈥� that can help win the war now, but also look to the medium to long term to make sure Ukraine has every possible capacity it requires,鈥� he said.
Ukraine has sought Western fighter jets since early in the war to bolster its force of Soviet-made MiG-29 and Su fighters. The success of its air force in defending its skies and territory despite Russia鈥檚 bigger numbers helped push back Moscow鈥檚 initial assault.
The Russian Embassy in London strongly warned the U.K. against supplying the warplanes, saying Britain would bear responsibility 鈥渇or another twist of escalation and the ensuing military-political consequences for the European continent and the entire world.鈥�
Macron has said France hasn鈥檛 ruled out sending fighter jets but set conditions, including not leading to an escalation of tensions or using the aircraft 鈥渢o touch Russian soil,鈥� and not resulting in weakening 鈥渢he capacities of the French army.鈥�
Sunak and Zelenskyy flew by helicopter to Lulworth Camp, a base in southwest England, where they met Ukrainian troops being trained on the Challenger 2 tanks the U.K. is sending as part of the hundreds that Kyiv says it needs. More than 10,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained in the U.K., and Britain says it will train 20,000 more in 2023.
鈥淚 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,鈥� Sunak said.
Zelenskyy also went to Buckingham Palace, where he met with King Charles III, who greeted him with a broad smile and a warm handshake before they had tea. The king told the president that 鈥渨e鈥檝e all been worried about you and thinking about your country for so long.鈥�
In his Parliament speech, Zelenskyy noted that Charles was a qualified military pilot.
鈥淭he king is an air force pilot,鈥� Zekenskyy said, and 鈥渋n Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a king.鈥�
Zelenskyy was greeted with applause, cheers and cries of 鈥淪lava Ukraini鈥� 鈥� 鈥淕lory to Ukraine鈥� 鈥� as he arrived in Parliament, where his cause has wide support.
He had y in March, two weeks after the start of the invasion. He echoed World War II leader Winston Churchill鈥檚 famous 鈥渘ever surrender鈥� speech, vowing that Ukrainians 鈥渨ill fight till the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost.鈥�
On Wednesday, he recalled how on a prewar visit to London, he sat in Churchill's chair in his subterranean wartime headquarters, and had a feeling that only now he understands: 鈥淚t was the feeling of how bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory."
In past wars, 鈥渆vil lost,鈥� he told U.K. lawmakers. 鈥淲e know Russia will lose and we we know victory will change the world.鈥�
He also urged stronger sanctions against Moscow until 鈥淩ussia is deprived of any possibility to finance this war.鈥�
Coinciding with the visit, the U.K. government announced new sanctions against six entities that Britain said supplied equipment to the Russian military. CST, a manufacturer of Russian drones and parts for helicopters used against Ukraine, were among them.
The London visit came as Russian forces shelled areas of eastern Ukraine in what Kyiv authorities believe is part of a thrust by the Kremlin鈥檚 forces before the invasion anniversary. Moscow, meanwhile, believes Ukraine is preparing its own battlefield push.
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Lawless reported from London. Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui in London and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.
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Jill Lawless And Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press
