London
CNN
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make a shock go to to London on Wednesday, Downing Road mentioned, at a time when Kyiv is urging the West to ship extra weapons and army assist to counter Russian advances.
Zelensky will meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak together with Ukrainian troops being skilled by British forces, and handle Parliament, UK officers mentioned.
The president’s go to to London is simply his second outdoors his nation since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a 12 months in the past, following his go to to Washington DC in December.
The journey comes as Zelensky has been desperately searching for army support from Western allies as Ukrainian officers warn Moscow is gearing up for a spring offensive.
Britain introduced Wednesday it could ship extra army gear to Kyiv to assist counter a doable Russian spring offensive. Sunak mentioned the UK would increase coaching to Ukrainian fighter pilots and marines, whereas additionally promising a long-term funding in Ukraine’s army.
The UK will start coaching Ukrainian pilots on NATO-standard fighter jets, in what CNN understands can be the primary official coaching program for Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter plane. There was nonetheless no point out of offering Ukraine with Western fighter plane that Zelensky has been calling for.
The UK additionally mentioned it can present Ukraine with “longer vary capabilities,” with out going into particulars.
“The Prime Minister can even supply to supply Ukraine with longer vary capabilities,” a Downing Road assertion learn. “This can disrupt Russia’s capability to repeatedly goal Ukraine’s civilian and important nationwide infrastructure and assist relieve stress on Ukraine’s frontlines.”
NATO allies just lately answered Kyiv’s requires most important battle tanks to bolster its army – which has till now been counting on Soviet-era tanks.
The UK was the primary to announce in mid-January that it could ship 12 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. After weeks of stress, this was adopted by bulletins from Germany and the US that they might ship Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams tanks respectively.
In line with the Downing Road assertion, the UK will announce further sanctions in opposition to Russia on Wednesday.
The sanctions might be launched “in response to Russia’s continued bombardment of Ukraine, together with the concentrating on of those that have helped Putin construct his private wealth, and firms who’re taking advantage of the Kremlin’s battle machine,” Downing Road mentioned.
The UK authorities has already imposed sanctions on a whole bunch of Russian people and entities since final February when Russia invaded Ukraine, based on UK authorities information.
Sunak mentioned: “President Zelensky’s go to to the UK is a testomony to his nation’s braveness, willpower and battle, and a testomony to the unbreakable friendship between our two nations.
“Since 2014, the UK has supplied important coaching to Ukrainian forces, permitting them to defend their nation, shield their sovereignty and battle for his or her territory.
“I’m proud that right now we’ll increase that coaching from troopers to marines and fighter jet pilots, making certain Ukraine has a army in a position to defend its pursuits properly into the longer term.”