Second trip since the beginning of the war
Selenskyj surprisingly flies to London
02/08/2023 10:12 am
After the United States, Britain is the second country that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has visited since the Russian invasion. Together with Prime Minister Sunak he visits Ukrainian troops who are being trained by the British. Zelenskyj is scheduled to travel to Brussels on Thursday.
According to the British government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected in Great Britain later today. Zelenskyy will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and visit Ukrainian soldiers who are being trained by the British Army, Downing Street said.
Zelenskyy’s first and only publicly known trip abroad after the start of the Russian war of aggression took the President to Washington shortly before Christmas. Along with the USA and the EU, Great Britain is one of the most important supporters of Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russia. In particular, there was a close connection between ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Zelenskyy.
Great Britain wants to expand its training program for Ukrainian soldiers in this context. Premier Sunak announced that fighter pilots and marines should also be trained in the future. “President Zelenskyy’s visit is a testament to the courage, determination and fighting spirit of his country and a testament to the unwavering friendship between our two countries,” Sunak said.
Zelenskyj is expected in Brussels on Thursday. The European Parliament said on Monday that there was a “probability of an extraordinary plenary session in the presence of the Ukrainian President”. On the same day, the heads of state and government of the EU countries will meet in Brussels for a summit. Selenskyj had been invited to personally attend a summit, said a spokesman for EU Council President Charles Michel on Monday evening.
According to their own statements, the EU and its member states have so far mobilized almost 50 billion euros for Ukraine. Numerous sanctions were also imposed on Russia.