Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses a media conference after the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Image Credit: AP

London: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Britain on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Sunak’s office said, the first such trip since Russia sent its troops into Ukraine in February last year.

Zelensky will visit Ukrainian troops currently training in Britain and address the British parliament, the statement said.

Sunak’s office announced plans to expand training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to sea and air - including fighter jet pilots and marines - and accelerate the supply of military equipment.

The training would ensure pilots are able to fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future, the statement said.

“President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK is a testament to his country’s courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries,” Sunak said in the statement.

Sunak will offer the UK’s backing to Zelensky’s plans to work towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, the statement said.

Britain will also set out further sanctions later in the day to target those who have helped Russian President Vladimir Putin “build his personal wealth, and companies who are profiting from the Kremlin’s war machine,” the statement said.

The government has already imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals and companies since last February.