Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday appealed to international allies for combat fighter jets to defend his country from Russia's invasion during his trip to Britain, including in talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Making his first visit to Britain since the Russian invasion began nearly a year ago, Zelenskyy inspected the training of Ukrainian personnel at a British military base in Dorset county ahead of a meeting with Sunak.
The British government said the same day that it will help train Ukrainian pilots to fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future.
"When it comes to the provision of military assistance to Ukraine, nothing is off the table," Sunak said alongside Zelenskyy at a press conference in the county after their talks, noting they discussed Kyiv's call for the provision of advanced fighter jets.
The Ukrainian leader also welcomed the contributions Britain has made so far, in terms of providing tanks and defensive weapons as well as galvanizing the international community into supporting Ukraine, in an address to the British parliament.
But he added, "I appeal to you and the world with simple and yet most important words: Combat aircraft for Ukraine. Wings for freedom."
Some Western nations, such as Germany and the United States, have recently decided to supply tanks to Ukraine amid speculation that Russia will launch a large-scale attack on Ukraine in the spring, following the first anniversary of the invasion on Feb. 24.
At the moment, Britain, along with other Western nations, has argued that providing fighter jets to Ukraine would be futile as they take a long period of training and could give the country no immediate assistance.
"Evil is still around today and the battle continues," Zelenskyy said in his address. "Yes, we know how it's going to end and how we are going to feel on the day victory comes. Every day we continue to pay with lives."
The president, making only his second visit outside his war-torn country since Russia launched the invasion, said a Ukrainian victory will deter aggressors around the world. He visited the United States in December to meet with President Joe Biden.
Zelenskyy said, "We know freedom will win. We know Russia will lose. And we really know that the victory will change the world and this will be a change that the world has long needed."
Britain provided "preventive" support for Ukraine before the invasion, Zelenskyy said, "exactly as it will be necessary every time in the future to prevent aggression from happening."
He continued, "We must take these principles of preventive aid to those who are threatened with aggression and preventive sanctions against those who threaten aggression as basic principles of the world antiwar policy."
Zelenskyy said Moscow must be held accountable in an international tribunal and pay reparations for the aggression and violence involving the Russian military and its soldiers in Ukraine.
While in Britain, Zelenskyy also met King Charles.
