File photo of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shaking hands with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak | Photo Credit: Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Britain on May 15, as Ukraine’s staunch ally prepares to deliver more military aid in an effort to reverse the course of the war.
This will be the fourth European country that Mr. Zelensky has visited in the past few days. He created an unannounced trip to paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday evening after traveling to Germany and Italy, where he met with those countries’ leaders and Pope Francis.
A message posted on Monday on Mr Zelensky’s official Telegram channel said: “Today – London. The UK is at the forefront when it comes to expanding our capabilities on the ground and in the air. This cooperation will continue today . I’ll meet my friend.” Sage. We will have concrete talks one-on-one and in delegations.
Sunak’s office confirmed that the two leaders would meet at Chequers. The Prime Minister’s country retreat outside London.
The UK has become one of Ukraine’s major military allies. Britain announced last week that it was sending Ukraine Storm Shadow cruise missiles— which has a range of more than 250 kilometers (150 miles) — the first known shipment of the weaponry that Kiev has long sought from its allies.
Mr Zelensky visited European capitals over the weekend to seek more aid as Ukraine prepares for a long-awaited spring offensive to retake territory seized by Russia.
Mr Zelensky and Mr Macron met for about three hours at the French presidential Elysee Palace – an encounter that was wrapped up shortly before the Ukrainian leader arrived in Paris.
Mr Macron’s office said France would supply dozens of light tanks and armored vehicles “in the coming weeks,” without giving specific numbers. It was also promised that there would be more air defense systems, but again the details were not made public.
Macron’s office said more Ukrainians would also be drafted for combat, with France aiming to train about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers in France this year and another 4,000 in Poland.
France has supplied Ukraine with a range of weapons, including air defense systems, light tanks, howitzers and other weapons, and equipment and fuel.
France sent a plane to pick up Mr. Zelensky in Germany, where He met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz First Sunday and discussed his country’s planned counter-attack.
It was his first visit to Berlin since the start of the invasion and came a day after the German government announced a new package of military aid for Ukraine worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion), which included tanks , anti-aircraft systems and ammunition were included. ,
Initially hesitant to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, Germany has become one of the largest suppliers of weapons to Ukraine, including the Leopard 1 and 2 battle tanks and the sophisticated IRIS-T SLM air defense system. Modern Western hardware is considered vital if Ukraine is to succeed in its planned counter-offensive.
In the West German city of Aachen, Mr Zelensky also received the prestigious International Charlemagne Prize, awarded to him and the people of Ukraine.
on Saturday. He met with Francis and the Italian premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome.
On a European visit, Mr Zelensky said the aim would be to liberate Russia-occupied territories within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, not to attack Russian territory.
Washington Post Citing previously undisclosed documents from a trove of US intelligence leaks, it is said that Zelensky has identified territories in Russia for possible use as bargaining chips in peace talks to end the war launched by Moscow in February 2022. Considered trying to capture. Western governments have insisted that weapons provided by them should not be used to attack targets in Russia.
Asked about the report, Mr Zelensky said: “We do not attack Russian territory, we liberate our own legitimate territory.”
According to an official interpreter, “We have neither the time nor the strength (to attack Russia).” “And we don’t even have weapons with which to do that.”
“We are preparing to retaliate to the illegally occupied territories on the basis of our constitutionally defined legitimate borders, which are recognized internationally,” Mr. Zelensky said.
The territories occupied by Russia are the Crimean peninsula and parts of eastern Ukraine with a predominantly Russian-speaking population.