Ukraine’s Zelensky meets King Charles, PM Rishi Sunak in surprise UK visit

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has made a whirlwind trip to London including a meeting with Charles III and PM Sunak.

King Charles III shakes hands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at Buckingham Palace (Photo by Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP)

King Charles told Volodymyr Zelensky that “we’ve all been worried about you,” when the Ukrainian leader dropped by for a surprise visit to Buckingham Palace.

In a whirlwind trip to Britain on Wednesday, President Zelensky had an audience with King Charles III, was served breakfast by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and told MPs he had one request – fighter planes.

Mr Zelensky will also visit his troops that are receiving military training in southwest England before heading to France to meet Emmanuel Macron.

As the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion looms and Ukraine braces for a fresh Russian offensive in the east, Mr Zelensky is pushing ever harder for friendly nations to send tanks, jets, and missiles.

King Charles III shakes hands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at Buckingham Palace. (Photo by Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP)

Dressed in his usual green fatigues, Mr Zelensky received waves of applause as he made a historic address to both the lower and upper houses of the British parliament on what is only his second overseas trip since the war began.

“I appeal to you and the world … for combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom,” he said.

Former PM Boris Johnson, who visited Mr Zelensky several times in Kyiv, was present in the audience to hear the speech.

“The United Kingdom is marching with us towards the most … important victory of our lifetime it will be a victory over the very idea of the war.”

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky in London, UK. (Photo by Rob Pinney/Getty Images)

Zelensky’s chat with King

Mr Zelensky kicked off his visit at 10 Downing Street where he held talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The British PM served Mr Zelensky a continental breakfast of croissants, toast and tea with Mr Sunak pouring the milk.

After his Westminster speech he headed to Buckingham Palace where he was greeted by Charles.

The two heads of state shook hands for several seconds and chatted before the King invited him to sit down.

Ukraine’s leader told the King that UK politicians had been a “big support” to his country to which Charles said “I’m glad,” reported the BBC.

The King also said Britons were concerned for him and Ukraine.

“We’ve all been worried about you and thinking about your country for so long, I can’t tell you,” he told him.

Mr Zelensky had concluded his earlier speech by saying “God Save the King,” and “Glory to Ukraine”.

Britain says it has already trained 10,000 Ukrainian troops “to battle readiness” over the past six months and will train a further 20,000 this year.

The new UK training will “ensure pilots are able to fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future”, the Britain said, although Western countries have so far ruled out sending jets themselves.

After meeting Mr Zelensky, Mr Sunak told parliament the UK would continue “to support Ukraine to ensure decisive military victory on the battlefield, this year”.

Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky head for breakfast in Downing Street. (Photo by Dan Kitwood / POOL / AFP)

‘Accelerated’ support

“(Russian President) Vladimir Putin’s aggression cannot be seen in any way to have been successful, and that’s why we have accelerated and increased our support militarily for Ukraine,” Mr Sunak said.

Mr Zelensky is due in Paris late on Wednesday, according to a French government source. European Union officials are hoping he will head to Brussels on Thursday.

In December, Mr Zelensky was given a hero’s welcome in Washington on his first overseas visit since the war began.

Moscow said on Tuesday that Russian forces were advancing towards Bakhmut and Vugledar — two key centres of fighting in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, now the flashpoint of the war.

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 08: Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle (left), and Speaker of the House of Lords Lord McFall (right), welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Westminster Hall on February 8, 2023 in London. (Photo Stefan Rousseau-by WPA Pool/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands promised that Ukraine would get at least 100 tanks in the “coming months”, as the German defence Minister visited Kyiv.

The three European governments also said training and support would be sent for the Leopard 1 tanks, ahead of the delivery of more advanced tanks in the future.

Germany recently gave the green light for Leopard battle tanks to be sent to Ukraine after a tireless campaign by Mr Zelensky and allied countries.

While Berlin has moved, however, other nations that committed to sending the tanks now appear to be stalling.

Training Ukrainian troops to use any armaments they receive, remains a challenge.

Last week, Mr Sunak said sending the UK’s Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets to Kyiv would require “months if not years” of training and that he was looking for the most effective way of helping Kyiv secure victory.

Former Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson was at Westminster to hear Volodymyr Zelensky address British MPs in Westminster Hall (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

‘Ukraine, Ukrainian belongs to Europe’

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has also warned that supplying fighter jets to Ukraine would not be a “magic wand” in the war, although he refused to rule out the idea.

The United States has so far rejected any deliveries of F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, but other partners, including Poland, have shown themselves more open to the idea.

Britain also announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting organisations relied on by the Russian military. Putin, however, remains defiant.

Updated maps of Russia have gone on sale in Moscow bookstores that include four annexed Ukrainian regions: Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk and Donetsk. Putin regularly refers to them as “our historical lands”.

Ahead of the February 24 anniversary of Russia’s invasion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was clear that Moscow would not win and assured Ukraine its future was in the EU.

“Putin will not achieve his goals — not on the battlefield and not through a dictated peace. That much, at least, is certain after a year of war,” Mr Scholz said in a speech to parliament.

“Ukraine, Ukrainian belongs to Europe, its future lies in the European Union. And this promise holds true,” Mr Scholz said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had held a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the need for more sanctions and military aid ahead of the anniversary.

“Russia would be making a grave mistake if it thought anyone would get tired of fighting the evil it brings,” Mr Kuleba tweeted.

Originally published as Ukraine’s Zelensky meets King Charles, PM Rishi Sunak in surprise UK visit