UK Says It Will Train Ukrainian Pilots on Fighter Jets After Zelensky Visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the UK on Wednesday, marking his first trip to the country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and pleaded for London to provide Kyiv with fighter jets in a speech to the British parliament.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears ready to oblige Zelensky’s request and asked his defense minister, Ben Wallace, to look at providing fighter jets to Kyiv as part of “long-term” support for Ukraine. A spokesman for Sunak said Wallace is now “actively looking at whether we send jets.”

“The PM has tasked the defense secretary with investigating what jets we might be able to give — but to be clear this is a long-term solution,” the spokesman told reporters, according to POLITICO.

While there’s been no commitment from the British to send jets to Ukraine, Sunak said his government will begin training Ukrainian pilots this spring. “I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future,” Sunak said.