Correspondent in London
A royal welcome, with the impression for the British that the history which is made meets the immemorial history.
For his first visit to London since the invasion of Ukraine, President Zelensky was received at Buckingham Palace by Charles III.
An honor that must have made the Kremlin cringe, where imperial symbols are not shunned.
Beyond this monarchical support, Volodymyr Zelensky had come to London to seek an intensification of British military aid, which was already substantial.
He again urged his Western allies to provide him with the
"necessary weapons"
to halt the Russian offensive and recover lost territories.
These weapons are mostly fighter planes today
.
“I ask you and the world for simple but very important words: fighter jets for Ukraine, wings for freedom”,
he launched in the majestic room of Westminster Hall, where the Elizabeth II's coffin was on display a few months ago and where members of the Houses of Commons and Lords were gathered.
After receiving a standing ovation, the Ukrainian
“thanked in advance for the powerful British planes”
, not without seeing offered to the president of the House of Commons the helmet of a pilot, one of the
“kings”
of the army of Kiev.
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The British Prime Minister promised to continue this support to
"enable a decisive military victory this year"
.
Rishi Sunak asked the army to study the possibility of delivering planes to Ukraine, assuring however that this could only constitute a
"long-term solution"
.
The United Kingdom will also further intensify the military training provided.
These will include fighter pilots and sailors.
London is here to stay.
Recalling that the United Kingdom has been providing
"vital"
aid to Ukrainian forces since 2014, Rishi Sunak said that this new aid underlines a
"commitment to not just supply short-term military equipment, but a promise to stand by Ukraine for years to come"
.
According to the British press, the United Kingdom is the second biggest financial supporter of Ukraine after the United States.
From the first hours of the conflict, London delivered thousands of NLAW anti-tank missiles to kyiv, with the support of instructors.
He has also trained more than 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the past six months and the goal is to train 20,000 more this year.
London further announced the supply of Challenger 2 heavy tanks to Kyiv as well as longer range capabilities.
A signal to Europeans
Before going to Buckingham Palace, Zelensky also summoned Churchill, saying he understood since the Russian attack what the "Old Lion" felt during the Second World War, when he greeted
"the spirit of these great islands"
.
To elected officials, he told that pushing back Russia would be the most important victory of their lives, because it would be
“a victory over the very idea of war, showing that any aggressor will lose”
.
And assured that the world needed British leadership like Ukrainian bravery.
Zelensky was the first foreign leader to address the British Parliament since Burmese Aung San Suu Kyi in 2012. Last March, he had already achieved a first by addressing British MPs by videoconference.
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Zelensky's choice is not neutral.
It is only the third foreign country he has visited since the start of the war, after the United States and Poland in December.
And this visit comes before the one to Paris and then to Brussels, a signal no doubt sent to the Europeans... For Rishi Sunak, it's a "nice blow", both on the international scene and on the domestic level.
The Prime Minister consolidates his position as a privileged ally of the United States in the containment of Russia.
And he asserts himself vis-à-vis Boris Johnson, very involved on the Ukrainian front from the start and who went to kyiv again two weeks ago.
Present in Parliament, he was warmly thanked by Zelensky.
Last week "BoJo" told a BBC documentary that his activism had earned him
"kind of a threat"
from Vladimir Putin, when the latter told him that it only took a minute to send a message .
missile over Great Britain.
The Kremlin in response called him a liar…
