The visit is Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s second trip abroad since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago and will involve the UK offering further support in the form of training, equipment and Russian sanctions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the UK to hold talks with Rishi Sunak and meet the King and Ukrainian troops.
He was greeted by the prime minister at Stansted Airport after landing just before 10.30am on Wednesday for his first visit to the UK since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.
Both leaders travelled in a cavalcade to Downing Street where Mr Zelenskyy was greeted by clapping behind the doors of Number 10, a tradition usually reserved for new prime ministers.
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The Ukrainian leader thanked Mr Sunak for inviting him and said it was a “great honour” to be in the UK as he thanked Britain for “all your big support from the first days of the full-scale invasion”, adding he has “very good relations with Rishi”.
Mr Zelenskyy has only made one other trip out of Ukraine since the invasion started, when he went to the United States and stopped over in Poland on the way back just before Christmas.
He will address MPs and peers in parliament after Prime Minister’s Questions at midday and will meet King Charles at Buckingham Palace this afternoon before meeting Ukrainian troops training in the UK.
Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Sunak will discuss the UK’s support for Ukraine, starting with an “immediate surge” of military equipment being sent to the country by the UK and the prime minister will reinforce his long-term support.
Shortly after Mr Zelenskyy landed, the UK announced further Russian sanctions, including against six entities providing military equipment, such as drones, to Russia, and eight individuals and one entity connected to “nefarious financial networks” helping maintain “wealth and power amongst Kremlin elites”, the government said.
In December, Mr Sunak travelled to Kyiv for the first time since becoming prime minister in October where he pledged a £50 million package to boost Ukrainian air defence.
His predecessor, Boris Johnson, had a very close relationship with Mr Zelenskyy and was one of Ukraine’s most vocal backers.
