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King Charles meets Volodymyr Zelenskiy at Buckingham Palace
First pictures of the king meeting the Ukrainian president at Buckingham Palace have emerged:
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Luke Harding
Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s powerful speech to both Houses of Parliament contained one stand out line:
In Britain, the King is an air force pilot. In Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a King.
Zelenskiy personally came up with the sentence, as he sat closeted with his closest advisers before his historic trip to London, the Guardian understands.
He wanted to stress the importance of air power to Ukraine’s fight for survival against Russia and to press the west to give him fighter jets. “It was the president’s idea,” one source said.
Zelenskiy has a team of speech writers including former journalists and screenwriters who worked on his hit TV show, Servant of the People. Before he won Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election he was an actor and comedian.
Zelenskiy is known for writing sections of his speeches himself and for typing in last minute changes into a laptop. He is fond of poetry and comes up with images and metaphors himself, according to those in his inner circle.
King Charles meets Volodymyr Zelenskiy at Buckingham Palace
First pictures of the king meeting the Ukrainian president at Buckingham Palace have emerged:
Labour party leader Keir Starmer said it was “an honour” to be addressed by president Zelenskiy.
“As a country, we are at our best when we unite to confront tyrannical aggression. Our duty now is to stand on the shoulders of giants who came before & support Ukraine’s fight for liberty & victory,” he wrote on Twitter.
It’s an honour to be in Parliament as we are addressed by President Zelenskyy.
As a country, we are at our best when we unite to confront tyrannical aggression.
Our duty now is to stand on the shoulders of giants who came before & support Ukraine’s fight for liberty & victory.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 8, 2023
Former prime minister Liz Truss, a vocal backer of Ukraine during her brief tenure, said it was a “privilege” to listen to Ukrainian president Zelenskiy as he addressed members of the Commons and the Lords at Westminster Hall.
Truss wrote:
His courage in the face of Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine is an inspiration as we remain steadfast in our support for the Ukrainian people. As he said: ‘Freedom will win’.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson also took to Twitter to express support for Zelenskiy’s “powerful and passionate appeal” and urged the government to send planes.
Zelenskiy to meet France’s Macron and Germany’s Scholz in Paris
Ukrainian president Zelenskiy arrived in London on Wednesday midday, though it doesn’t appear he will be staying for long.
French president Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting in Paris on Wednesday with Zelenskiy and German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, according to Reuters, citing the French presidency and German government sources.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has arrived at Buckingham Palace for his audience with the King, PA news reports.
It is the first time the monarch has met Zelenskiy.
German chancellor to meet Zelenskiy in Paris
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskiy and French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Reuters reports, citing broadcaster NTV.
Earlier we reported that Zelenskiy was expected in Paris this evening, French media outlet BFM TV is reporting, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.
The Ukrainian leader is then reportedly visiting Brussels tomorrow, where the EU is holding a summit.
Patrick Wintour
Rishi Sunak lays down a marker with offer to train Ukraine pilots
The British offer to train Ukrainian pilots on modern Nato fighter jets is a carefully couched hint to the rest of Nato that at some point it may have to provide modern jets to help Ukraine defend its airspace from the Russian air force.
The offer of Nato jets to Ukraine briefly surfaced as an idea after the controversy over the provision of tanks was settled with as many as 150 tanks to be offered within the next year.
But the jets proposal looked like a red line too far with a firm no from the US president, Joe Biden, and an even firmer rejection by the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
But as the last year has shown, initial rejections of forms of aid to Ukraine have been frequently overturned only months later. By offering to train Ukrainian pilots Rishi Sunak is at least setting down a marker. In welcoming the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to the UK on Wednesday, Sunak was careful to couch the proposal as part of a long-term plan to ensure that in future Ukraine is master of its own skies.
Read more of this analysis by the Guardian’s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour here:
Kiran Stacey
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked British parliamentarians for their support in his country’s war against Russia as he gave a historic address to both houses of parliament.
In a speech to members of the Commons and the Lords at Westminster Hall, the Ukrainian president hailed the “bravery” of the British people and politicians who helped form the international alliance in support of his country.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your bravery,” he said. “London has stood with Kyiv since day one, from the first seconds and minutes of the full-scale war.”
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“We are backing Ukraine until they are victorious,” says the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, after Ukrainian president Zelenskiy addressed parliamentarians.
What a powerful speech from President @ZelenskyyUa.
We are backing Ukraine until they are victorious.
Freedom will win 🇺🇦🇬🇧
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) February 8, 2023
Zelenskiy to travel to Paris after UK visit
Volodymyr Zelenskiy will have an audience with King Charles following his address to British MPs in Westminster.
He is then expected to be in Paris this evening, French media outlet BFM TV is reporting, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.
The Ukrainian leader is then reportedly visiting Brussels tomorrow, where the EU is holding a summit.
The Guardian’s Peter Beaumont writes that Zelenskiy’s gifting of a Ukrainian air force pilot’s helmet is a clever touch, as the Ukrainian leader urged allies to supply fighter jets.
The gift of the Ukrainian airforce pilot’s helmet is a very clever touch as Zelinskiy appeals for jets
— petersbeaumont (@petersbeaumont1) February 8, 2023
Zelenskiy told MPs he would do everything he could to persuade the world to provide Ukraine with modern planes to help his forces defeat Russia.
He said:
We … will do everything possible and impossible to make the world provide us with modern planes to empower and protect pilots who will be protecting us.
Peter Walker writes that Zelenskiy’s address to the UK parliament was “pure political theatre”, with “humour, emotion, a touch of flamboyance, and a very, very clear and powerful political message”.
That was pure political theatre from Zelenskiy – humour, emotion, a touch of flamboyance, and a very, very clear and powerful political message.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) February 8, 2023
‘Give us wings’: Zelenskiy urges UK to send fighter jets to Ukraine
President Zelenskiy presents the UK’s speaker of the house, Lindsay Hoyle, with a Ukrainian pilot’s helmet.
On the helmet was written:
We have freedom, gives us wings to protect it.
He says he trusts this symbol “will help us with our next coalition… of planes… wings for freedom”.
Zelenskiy says he will meet with King Charles later today, which he says will be “a truly special moment”.
He says he will convey to the King the gratitude for the support from all Ukrainians. He says:
In Britain, the King is an air force pilot. In Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a king.
Zelenskiy thanks the UK for supplying his country with main battle tanks, addressing prime minister Rishi Sunak “for this powerful defensive step”.
Long-range missiles will “allow us to make the evil completely retreat from our country,” he adds.
The UK is “marching” with Ukraine towards “the most important victory of our lifetime – a victory of the very idea of war”, Zelenskiy says.
He says Ukraine and its allies have formed a “true coalition of friends” and have already achieved “remarkable” results.
The Ukrainian leader calls on the UK to continue to impose sanctions to deprive Russia of the ability to finance its war against Ukraine.
He says:
The world needs your leadership, Britain. Just as it needs Ukrainian bravery.
He praises the UK for its help in preparing the ground for a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression, and a special compensation mechanism.
Zelenskiy: London has stood with Kyiv since day one
President Zelenskiy shares a story about the last time he visited the UK, in the autumn of 2020, where he visited the War Rooms beneath Whitehall, where Winston Churchill led Britain through the second world war.
He says he felt how “bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory”.
“London has stood with Kyiv since day one,” Zelenskiy says, “from the first seconds and minutes” of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Great Britain – you extended your helping hand when the world [had] not yet come to understand how to react.
Boris –you go to others when it seemed absolutely impossible. Thank you.
