Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United Kingdom on Wednesday with a packed schedule, meeting Britain’s political leaders and thanking the British people for the support for the war effort in Ukraine.
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The Ukrainian president’s unannounced trip saw him speak in the Palace of Westminster and meet with King Charles III.
Meets With Rishi Sunak
Zelenskyy was greeted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Stansted Airport. The Ukrainian president arrived at 10:30am in the London airport and traveled with the prime minister to 10 Downing Street, Sunak’s official residence, and was met with applause from staff upon arrival.
The greeting, which is usually only reserved for incoming prime ministers, represented the United Kingdom’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia and Zelenskyy’s perseverance.
Zelenskyy thanked the British prime minister for inviting him to the U.K., revealing that the plan was organized from the British side, and expressed thanks to the British public for “all your big support from the first days of the full-scale invasion.”
Thanks Former Prime Minister Johnson
During a speech in Westminster Hall, the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate where Her Late Majesty the Queen lay in state for three days less than six months ago, Zelenskyy heaped praise on former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Looking into the audience, Zelenskyy directly addressed Johnson.“Boris,” he said. “You got others united when it seemed absolutely, absolutely impossible. Thank you.”
“You, all of you, you showed your grit, and character back then. Strong British character. You didn’t compromise Ukraine and hence, you didn’t compromise your ideals, and thus the spirit of this great alliance. Thank you very much.”
Speaking in English, Zelenskyy said that he attended in person on behalf of the “war heroes” currently “in the trenches protecting Ukraine against enemy missiles.”
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, told Zelenskyy that Parliament was “honored” the Ukrainian president put himself at risk to address them in person.
Meets New King Charles III
Zelenskyy also met with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. Ahead of the meeting, the Ukrainian president said that the meeting would be a
“special moment” for him and his country.
“In Britain, the king is an air force pilot. And in Ukraine today every air force pilot is a king,” Zelenskyy said.
“We’ve all been worried about you and thinking about you and your country for so long, I can’t tell you,” His Majesty the King told Zelenskyy as the pair met for the first time in the palace.
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Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.