New Delhi: In his first trip to the UK since Russia invaded his country nearly a year ago, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a prediction on Wednesday that Russia would lose the war against his country. He also thanked the people of Britain for their support from "Day One" since Moscow's military offensive began.
"I stand before you on behalf of our brave soldiers who are right now under artillery fire," Zelenskyy said in a rousing address to Parliament, during which he complimented the “strong British character”.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine "will always come out on top of evil" when referring to his nation.
He stated in ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, "This lies at the core of our, as well as your, traditions."
Zelenskyy said in a historic speech, "Russia will lose," while sporting his signature olive sweatshirt.
His first trip to the UK since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is this one.
Also Read: Ukrainian President Zelensky Visits UK, To Meet King Charles III, Address Parliament: Report
In his speech at Westminster Hall, he declared, "We know freedom will win, we know Russia will lose and the victory will change the world."
Sunak extended UK support for training Ukrainian marines and fighter jet pilots to help them improve their defensive capabilities in conjunction with the visit.
The surprise visit, which was not made public in advance for security reasons, will also include a meeting with King Charles III, according to Buckingham Palace. Officials from the UK government said that the leaders will talk about a two-pronged strategy for Britain's support for Ukraine.
Ukraine's pilots will be able to fly sophisticated North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) standard fighter jets in the future, Downing Street stated.
The UK will collaborate with Ukraine and international allies to coordinate collective support to meet Ukraine's defensive needs as part of that long-term capability investment.
According to officials, a marine training program will be added to the UK's recruit training program, which has already trained 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers to battle readiness and will upskill another 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year.
The United Kingdom claimed that in 2023, it will continue to collaborate with the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the international community to expand the program.
Following Sunak's decision to send the main battle tanks to Ukraine, Ukrainian troops arrived in the UK last week to learn how to command Challenger 2 tanks.