Zelenskyy Makes Surprise Trip to UK, France to Ask for More Weapons, Fighter Jets

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet outside Number 10 Downing Street in London on Feb. 8, 2023. Henry Nicholls/Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to France and the United Kingdom on Feb. 8 where he called on leaders of the two nations to supply Ukraine with more fighter jets and weapons amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Zelenskyy first landed in the UK where he was greeted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before heading to Downing Street.

There the two leaders discussed a “two-pronged approach to UK support for Ukraine, starting with an immediate surge of military equipment to the country to help counter Russia’s spring offensive and reinforced by long-term support,” according to Sunak’s office.

Sunak also offered to bolster the UK’s training offer for Ukrainian troops, including “expanding it to fighter jet pilots to ensure Ukraine can defend its skies well into the future,” which the PM said will “ensure pilots are able to fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future.”

Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement that the two had agreed on a “powerful defense package” from the UK which includes a “significant number of armored vehicles and the supply of long-range weapons.”

Later, Zelenskyy gave a speech to the joint houses of the British Parliament, where he thanked the UK for standing with Kyiv “since day one, from the first seconds and minutes of the full-scale war,” before calling on Britain to provide more combat aircraft which he referred to as “wings of freedom” for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses parliamentarians in Westminster Hall, London, on Feb. 8, 2023. Stefan Rousseau/PA Media

Aircraft Are Ukraine’s ‘Wings of Freedom’

In response, Sunak said that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to supplying Ukraine with jets to fight Russia, despite the fact that the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) has a limited number of aircraft that it could theoretically provide the nation.

London’s Russian embassy has also warned against the move, stating that doing so may escalate the conflict to Europe.

After that, the Ukrainian leader traveled to Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles before hopping on a helicopter with Sunak to fly to Lulworth Camp, a military base in Dorset in the southwest of the country, where they met with Ukrainian soldiers who are being trained by the British army on how to operate Challenger 2 tanks.

“We signed a Declaration of Unity with Mr. Prime Minister, a document that sets out the principles of our cooperation and mutual support. Allied cooperation and mutual support. This is a new level of relations,” Zelenskyy said.

Shortly after leaving the UK, Zelenskyy jetted off to Paris, France, to have dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Both leaders vowed continued support for Ukraine, and Zelenskyy again pressed for advanced arms.

“The sooner Ukraine can get powerful long-range weapons, Emmanuel, the sooner our pilots can get modern aircraft, Olaf, the stronger our tank coalition is—I am grateful to you for having embarked on this path—the sooner this Russian aggression will end and we will return a steadfast peace to Europe,” Zelenskyy said, according to his office.

Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle (left), holds the helmet of one of the most successful Ukrainian pilots, inscribed with the words, "We have freedom, give us wings to protect it," which was presented to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he addressed parliamentarians in Westminster Hall, London, on Feb. 8, 2023. Stefan Rousseau/PA Media

France, Germany Vow Continued Support

Macron promised to “continue to adapt and moderate the necessary military support to preserve Ukraine and its future,” according to Agence France-Presse, adding that France will “continue its efforts” to deliver arms to Kyiv.

Scholz, meanwhile, stressed that “Ukraine belongs to the European family,” while vowing to continue providing the nation with further military, humanitarian, and financial support, according to local reports.

After a whirlwind visit to France, Zelenskyy flew to Brussels, where he addressed the European Parliament ahead of a special meeting with EU leaders.

There, the Ukrainian leader again lobbied EU officials to provide more weapons to be delivered to Ukraine faster.

Zelenskyy’s visit to the EU marks his second publically known trip out of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. It also marks his first-ever publically known visit to the UK since the conflict began.

The visit comes as Ukraine braces for a Russian offensive in Donbas later this month, after tens of thousands of freshly mobilized Russian troops were brought to eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine national security chief Oleksiy Danilov said in an interview on Tuesday that the Kremlin is expected to target the northeastern Kharkiv or southern Zaporizhzhia regions in a new offensive.