Author: UK News

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

Rishi Sunak has said ‘nothing is off the table’ after Volodymyr Zelensky flew to England to ask him to send fighter jets to help Ukraine battle the Russian Army.

But the prime minister has still fallen short of promising to provide the ‘wings for freedom’ the Ukrainian war leader asked for in an earlier historic address to Parliament.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had been asked to investigate what jets the UK could potentially give to Ukraine in its struggle against Vladimir Putin’s invading forces.

Mr Sunak and Mr Zelensky confirmed the issue of warplanes had been ‘part of the conversation’ today after they visited Lulworth Camp in Dorset to meet Ukrainian soldiers being trained by the British Army.

During a press conference, Mr Sunak said that UK Challenger 2 tanks would be sent to Ukraine next month – sooner than thought – but cautioned that the ‘first step’ on providing jets will take ‘some time’. 

Denying there was any ‘reticence’, he said: ‘Throughout this conflict, we have been out in front.’

Following the announcement that Britain will train Ukrainian air force pilots as part of a long-term strategy, the British leader said it was important pilots can ‘actually operate the aircraft that they will be using’.

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold a news conference (Picture: Getty Images Europe)

The pair shake hands after meeting Ukrainian troops being trained to command Challenger 2 tanks at a military facility in Lulworth, Dorset (Picture: AP)

They signed a declaration of unity today (Picture: PA)

The two leaders were pictured signing a declaration of unity on Wednesday – stating how London and Kyiv were ‘confident, that together with our allies and partners, we will defeat Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion’.

Mr Zelensky said conversations had been ‘fruitful’ and thanked Britain for longtime support.

But he warned the war could ‘stagnate’ and ‘terrorists could live on our territory’ if jets were not forthcoming from the West. 

‘Come on, we will be sending you pilots who’ve already trained for two and a half years,’ he joked with Mr Sunak.

Yet, Mr Zelensky has acknowledged that ‘not everything depends just on the decision of Great Britain’.

His comment came after Mr Sunak hinted that allies involved in producing the planes would need to have a say.

Asked about the prospect of giving British planes to Kyiv, he said: ‘When it comes to fighter combat aircraft, of course they are part of the conversation – indeed, we have been discussing that today and have been previously.

‘That’s why we have announced today that we will be training Ukrainian air force on Nato-standard platforms, because the first step in being able to provide advanced aircrafts is to have soldiers or aviators who are capable of using them.

‘That is a process that takes some time. We’ve started that process today, that’s because we are keen to support the president and his country in delivering a victory.

The two leaders shared some smiles today (Picture: PA)

Zelensky shakes the hand of a Ukrainian troop (Picture: AP)

‘And nothing is off the table and our leadership on this issue is something we all collectively should be very proud of.’

Mr Zelensky said he would be travelling to other European capitals to hold further talks about supplying his air force.

The joint press briefing brought a close to a day in which Mr Zelensky addressed Parliament with an emotive speech, pleading for fighter planes.

He also met King Charles for the first time at Buckingham Palace.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Read More

Fitness must-haves and natural alternatives for Valentine’s Day This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives. Keep fit, look good and eat well with this week’s selection of wellness and beauty buys with a nod to Valentine’s Day. Getting sweaty at the gym can be an aromatic affair after a while, so we’ve got some odour-eliminating workout gear using the latest tech. There’s also running gear, a book of meat-free recipes and a…

Read More

Zoom will incur about $50 million to $68 million in charges related to the layoffs (Picture: Unsplash) Zoom is the latest tech company to be hit by mass layoffs as 1,300 jobs are set to get cut. On Tuesday, the company said it was laying off nearly 15% of its workforce, as demand for its video conferencing services slows with the waning of the pandemic. While announcing the layoffs, Chief Executive Officer Eric Yuan said he would take a pay cut of 98% for the coming fiscal year and forego his bonus. ‘We worked tirelessly… but we also made mistakes. We didn’t…

Read More

Met Police under pressure to explain how rapist David Carrick got away with ‘monstrous’ abuse for so long The i says The conviction of serial rapist David Carrick has done little to rebuild confidence in the police despite apologies and pledges to root out other officers engaged in criminal activity. Carrick, who carried pleaded guilty to 49 offences against 12 women, including 24 rapes, was handed 36 life sentences and ordered to spend a minimum term of 30 years in prison on Tuesday. The conclusion of the second day of sentencing means one of the UK’s worst sexual offenders will…

Read More

Serial rapist police officer David Carrick’s ‘lenient’ sentence to be reviewed The Independent says Serial rapist and former Met Police officer David Carrick’s sentence is being reviewed after complaints it isn’t tough enough. Carrick, 48, was on Tuesday handed 36 life sentences and told he would not be eligible for release for at least 30 years. He was convicted of a range of offences, including dozens of rapes, while he was a serving officer. Following the sentencing at Southwark Crown Court, the Attorney General’s Office said it had received “multiple requests” to review Carrick’s jail term. “We can confirm we…

Read More

Video shows moment rapist police officer David Carrick was arrested Evening Standard says Disgraced PC David Carrick tried to use his status as a police officer when he was first arrested on suspicion of rape, newly-released footage has revealed. The 48-year-old former Metropolitan Police firearms officer was jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years at Southwark crown court on Tuesday, after admitting a horrific catalogue of sexual offences against 12 women. Following the sentencing, Hertfordshire Police released footage of Carrick’s arrest, in October 2021, at a time when he was suspected of raping a woman he had…

Read More