‘Give us wings’: Zelensky seeks weaponry in surprise trips to London and Paris

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought Western support for his country in surprise visits to Britain and France on Wednesday, pushing for fighter jets to battle Russian invaders in a dramatic speech to the U.K. Parliament, and then flying to Paris to meet the French and German leaders over dinner at the Elysee Palace. Zelensky thanked the British people for their support since “Day One” of Moscow’s invasion nearly a year ago, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said fighter jets were “part of the conversation” about aid to Ukraine. Wearing his trademark olive drab sweatshirt, he urged allies to deliver jets to Ukraine, saying combat aircraft would be “wings for freedom.” Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, holds the helmet of one of the most successful Ukrainian pilots, which was presented to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he addressed Parliament in Westminster Hall, London, on Feb. 8, 2023. The Russian Embassy in London strongly warned the U.K. against supplying the warplanes, saying Britain would bear responsibility “for another twist of escalation and the ensuing military-political consequences for the European continent and the entire world.” Macron has said France hasn’t ruled out sending fighter jets but set conditions, including not leading to an escalation of tensions or using the aircraft “to touch Russian soil,” and not resulting in weakening “the capacities of the French army.” Sunak and Zelensky flew by helicopter to Lulworth Camp, a base in southwest England, where they met Ukrainian troops being trained on the Challenger 2 tanks the U.K. is sending as part of the hundreds that Kyiv says it needs. “The king is an air force pilot,” Zelensky said, and “in Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a king.” Britain’s King Charles III holds an audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, at Buckingham Palace on Feb. 8, 2023.