The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is increasing the pressure on the West to provide his country with fighter jets that will help to decide the military campaign against Russia.
In a speech delivered to hundreds of members of the British Parliament in the historic Westminster Hall in the House of Commons in London, Zelensky stated: "Evil is collapsing. We know that freedom will win. We know that Russia will lose and we know that its victory will change the world. This is a change that the world has needed for a long time. It will be a victory about the idea of war. After him, any aggressor will know what awaits him if he violates international law, inflicts death and destruction on others and seeks to perpetuate his dictatorship at the expense of the blood of innocents."
With British Prime Minister Sunak in Downing 10, photo: AFP
During his speech, Zelensky referred to his meeting with Charles III and noted that the king was a pilot.
"In Ukraine, every pilot is a king," Zelensky added to the thunderous applause of the British parliamentarians.
At this point in his speech, Zelensky presented the Speaker of the British House of Representatives with the helmet of a Ukrainian pilot, "one of the most successful", according to him. "On the helmet it is written: Freedom gives us wings to protect it", explained the Ukrainian President, and continued to call on Britain and the West to provide his country with fighter jets. "Fighter planes for Ukraine are wings for freedom," he emphasized.
Zelensky, Speaker of the Parliament Lindsey Hall and the helmet of the Ukrainian pilot. "Freedom gives us wings to protect it", photo: GettyImages
Zelensky also called on the West to continue imposing economic sanctions on Russia, until it is deprived of the ability to finance the war.
"Whoever invests in terrorism should pay for it, everyone who invests in violence should compensate those who suffered from terrorism, aggression or other types of violence," said Zelensky who returned and thanked the British for supporting his country since the first day of the war "while the world did not understand how to respond" .
Johnson at the end of Zelensky's performance.
Receives a special status in Ukraine, photo: AFP
Zelensky also personally thanked the Prime Minister of Great Britain at the outbreak of the war, Boris Johnson, who was present in the Westminster Hall - for the great help he provided to Ukraine.
"I did not compromise on Ukraine, and thus you also did not compromise on your spirit and principles. Ukraine and Britain have already defeated the fear of war (in World War II) and evil has lost. The world now needs Britain's leadership as much as it needs Ukrainian courage," said the guest, McCabe.
Rishi Sunak gets Zelanski.
Unusually, the British Prime Minister met the guest already at Stansted Airport, Photo: AFP
Before the speech, Rishi Sunak pledged to continue to support Ukraine "until the defeat of Putin".
In response to questions from the Labor leader, Sir Keir Strummer, Sonak clarified that Britain's goal was and remains to achieve a decisive victory for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia. However, Sonak refrained from joining Strumer's explicit call to commit to the prosecution of the Russian president for war crimes before the court International in The Hague. Sonak clarified that Britain insists that those responsible for the terrible crimes in Ukraine pay for their actions and emphasized his country's support for the investigation conducted by the prosecution in this court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sonak expressed hope that the Hague Tribunal will soon publish indictments against individuals who were responsible for war crimes, But refrained from explicitly mentioning Putin's name.
Sonak noted that Britain will this year double the number of Ukrainian soldiers who will undergo military training in Britain to 20,000.
This is in addition to the Ukrainian Navy and Air Force who will also undergo training in the UK.
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