President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invoked ‘Wings for Freedom’ as he appealed to western allies to supply Ukraine with fighter jets, in an emotional speech to the British parliament.
In the first stage of the European trip that will also include Paris and Brussels, the Ukrainian president thanked the United Kingdom for its role in encouraging other allies to provide more support for Kyiv’s almost year-long war against a full-scale Russian invasion.
“I ask you and the world: fighter jets for Ukraine. Wings for freedom,” said Zelenskyy to applause and cheers from members of the British Parliament in Westminster Hall, where only a few months ago Queen Elizabeth II was in the country.
As Zelenskyy flew to London in an RAF plane, Britain pledged more aid to Ukraine – including fighter pilot training, as debate rages over how the west should fight Kyiv.
After visiting King Charles and the Ukrainian troops trained in Britain, Zelenskyy will travel to Paris, where he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He will attend the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.
In only his second foreign trip since the invasion on February 24 last year, Zelenskyy thanked Britain for its role and asked other allies to provide more support.
“Great Britain, you have helped when the world didn’t know how to react,” he said.
Britain is the first western ally to offer to train Ukrainian pilots on NATO-standard aircraft, a move it took after it offered the Challenger tank last month ahead of the US and Germany.
“I am proud that today we will expand . . . the training of soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring that the Ukrainian military can defend its interests well in the future,” said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who greeted Zelenskyy on his arrival at Stansted airport.
In his speech, the Ukrainian leader praised Sunak and Boris Johnson, the former British prime minister, for their leadership.
But concerns are growing in the west that Ukraine has a narrow window to launch a counterattack in the spring, as Russia builds up forces, prompting allies to send heavier equipment such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and long-range weapons.
One British cabinet minister said after the speech that “everyone will remember the words ‘wings for freedom’ and I don’t see how they won’t get what they want.”
Ukrainian officials have warned that parts and weaponry for dozens of Soviet-era jets operated by Kyiv are running low and the country will soon lose its air force fleet.
So far, NATO countries have not approved Kyiv’s call for western aircraft, especially the American F-16. While the jets will allow Ukraine to protect itself more effectively against Russian airstrikes, many in the west remain concerned about the risk of escalation with a nuclear-armed state.
Yuriy Sak, adviser to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, said that the British decision “sends a strong signal . . . to other allies of Ukraine, that the time has come to break through one of the last remaining hurdles – providing Ukraine with modern fighter jets”.
Ukrainian officials say the F-16s can intercept cruise missiles and attack drones used by Russia to target critical infrastructure and Ukrainian civilian objects, while providing support to ground forces.
The UK initially trained fighter jet pilots on Hawk 2 aircraft during an “operational conversion schedule” that typically lasted six months. British officials said the time could be shortened to three months for experienced Ukrainian pilots.
Analysts say Britain will train Ukrainian pilots in simulators on NATO standard procedures, cockpit information displays, weapons programming formats and tactics.
“Idea [is] that Ukraine is provided with NATO fighters [jets] at some point, conversion training will take less time,” said Justin Bronk, a senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank in London.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said late last year that about 50 experienced Ukrainian pilots with English language skills had been selected and were ready to begin training the western jets. Many of them trained with US forces during military training before the war.
Britain will also increase arms supplies to Ukraine.
The British Foreign Office on Wednesday announced further sanctions against Russia.
“Victory will change the world and this will be the change that the world needs for a long time,” Zelenskyy said in a speech to the British parliament. “After winning together, any aggressor, no matter big or small, will know what awaits him if he attacks the international order.”
Additional reporting by Jim Pickard