Zelenskiy heads to London, wins pledge to train pilots on NATO planes By Reuters

By Dan Peleschuk and Muvija M

KYIV/LONDON (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was due in London on Wednesday for less than his second journey overseas since Russia invaded Ukraine, and gained guarantees of latest navy support, together with coaching on superior NATO fighter jets the West has thus far held again from supplying.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s workplace stated Zelenskiy would handle parliament and go to Ukrainian troops coaching in Britain.

“President Zelenskiy’s go to to the UK is a testomony to his nation’s braveness, dedication and combat, and a testomony to the unbreakable friendship between our two international locations,” Sunak stated in a press release.

Sunak’s workplace introduced extra sanctions on Russia, in addition to plans to speed up the provision of navy gear to Kyiv. For the primary time, Ukraine’s air pressure and marines would now be included within the British coaching programme.

“The coaching will guarantee pilots are in a position to fly subtle NATO-standard fighter jets sooner or later,” it stated, though it gave no timeframe.

That appeared to sign a notable shift in Western help, as international locations have thus far held again from offering jets or weapons that might strike deep into Russia.

Zelenskiy can also be seen as more likely to attend an EU summit later this week as he drums up help from Western allies on the outset of what Kyiv says can be a decisive second 12 months of the battle. The bloc’s leaders are gathering in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, and Zelenskiy has a standing invitation, though official plans haven’t been introduced.

Zelenskiy visited the US in December and addressed the U.S. Congress on his solely recognized journey overseas since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February final 12 months.

Western international locations have dramatically scaled up their pledges of navy help for Ukraine for the reason that begin of the brand new 12 months, together with guarantees of a whole bunch of tanks and armoured automobiles. Kyiv nonetheless needs longer vary missiles and battle planes.

After main Ukrainian good points within the second half of 2022, Russia has recovered momentum, with tens of 1000’s of freshly mobilised troops reaching the entrance.

Russian forces have made incremental progress in relentless winter battles within the east of the nation in current weeks which each side describe as among the bloodiest combating of the battle.

Kyiv says it expects Moscow to broaden that offensive with a giant push because the Feb. 24 first anniversary of the invasion approaches.

“They should have one thing to point out earlier than their individuals, and have a serious need to do one thing huge, as they see it, by this date,” Ukraine’s nationwide safety chief Oleksiy Danilov advised Reuters on Tuesday in an interview.

He predicted Russia, which has targeted currently on the Donetsk area within the east, would strive new assaults on Kharkiv additional north or Zaporizhzhia additional south.

“How profitable they’re going to be will rely upon us.”

Russia launched its “particular navy operation” to fight what it describes as a safety menace from Ukraine’s ties to the West, and says Western provides of weapons to Kyiv will solely extend the battle. It claims to have annexed 4 Ukrainian provinces final 12 months.

Ukraine says the one solution to cease the battle is for the West to provide it the aptitude to drive Russian forces out.

Western fighter jets are on the high of Ukraine’s wishlist for weapons. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv enjoys air superiority over Ukraine, which has restricted the usage of piloted air craft on each side within the battle.

The US and Britain have instructed they might not ship their very own fighter jets to Ukraine. However different international locations have indicated that they may achieve this, maintaining the door open for a collective resolution by Western allies.