Sunak says ‘nothing is off the table’ as Zelensky asks UK for fighter jets
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said “nothing is off the table” after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky asked the UK to supply him with fighter jets to battle Putin’s army.
The two leaders spoke at a joint press conference at an army base today after the Ukrainian wartime president flew to the UK and implored the PM to bolster the country’s air power.
Western allies have so far declined to further arm Ukraine but earlier today Sunak confirmed Britain would train Ukrainian pilots to fly modern warplanes, while stopping short of any commitment to supply planes.
No10 said defence secretary Ben Wallace is investigating what aircraft the UK could provide, but stressed this would be a “long-term option”.
Speaking at a joint press conference at Camp Lulworth, Dorset, Zelensky warned if Ukraine continued to go without jets, the war risked military “stagnation” which would pose a “great risk to all of the world”.
He branded Russia a “terrorist” nation and said: “If we don’t get fighter jets or missiles, everything obviously will be running out.
“There will be stagnation and these people will come and be living on our territory and this will pose a great risk to all of the world.
“They have just captured a nuclear station and are living there. They are terrorists – all of this is very important.”
Sunak and Zelensky travelled to the base to meet Ukrainian soldiers training to fight using British Challenger 2 tanks and to sign the London Declaration, a joint agreement between the two nations to deepen cooperation in their fight to defend Ukraine against Putin’s Russia.
Zelensky addressed MPs and peers in a historic address from the steps of Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliaments, had breakfast with Sunak at 10 Downing Street, and had tea with the King at Buckingham Palace.
Zelensky used his Westminster Hall speech to call on the UK and the West to provide fighter jets, telling parliamentarians: “Combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom.”
He also presented Commons speaker Sir Lindsey Hoyle with a real Ukrainian pilot’s helmet.
Zelensky also directly thanked former prime minister Boris Johnson for his support to Ukraine and the former leader later urged Sunak to deliver the jets to Ukraine’s fighter pilots.
Speaking at Lulworth, Zelensky stressed: “Our people had to rise up and they had to fight with what they had.
“Then we turned into fury as Russians were killing and murdering people and raping people and we were ready to use any weapons just to destroy them.
“Russia has no pity for its own people, they keep throwing people into the battlefield whereas we protect our people.. We needed to prepare.”
Aircraft including RAF Hawks, Eurofighter Typhoons and F-35 Lightnings are among those that could be supplied to the eastern European nation, should agreement be reached.
And plans are in place to train Ukrainian helicopter pilots at Shawbury in Shropshire.
Asked whether he was personally willing to supply jets, Sunak said there had been “no reticence” and that Britain had been “nothing but out in front and will continue to do so”.
He said there were complex supply chains and training requirements to fly the sophisticated aircraft safely, but that “nothing was off the table”.
Zelensky said the day’s negotiations had proved “fruitful” and that “together we will cover this difficult path to our victory”.