With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the United Kingdom, the Russian embassy in London left a warning on Wednesday: Sending fighter jets to Ukraine will have “military and political consequences for the European continent and for the whole world,” according to Reuters, which quotes the Tass office.
The embassy’s position comes after Zelensky reiterated to the British parliament his request for military fighter jets to help Ukrainian forces fight the Russian invasion, which has been underway since February 24.
The Russian embassy in London said in a statement quoted by Russian state news agencies that the “bloodshed, the next phase of escalation and the military and political consequences for the European continent and the whole world” that would result from sending fighter jets to Ukraine would be on London’s conscience.
“Russia will find a way to respond to any hostile action from the British side,” the Russian embassy said, according to TASS.
The British Prime Minister does not rule out the delivery of fighter jets, but gives priority to missiles
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stressed on Wednesday that “nothing is out of the question” when it comes to supplying fighter jets to Ukraine, but stressed that the priority was to strengthen anti-aircraft defenses and long-range missiles.
“When it comes to providing military aid to Ukraine, nothing is off the table,” Sunak said. during a joint press conference with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, after a visit to a military base in southern England where Ukrainian soldiers are being trained by the British armed forces.
The British head of government said what he discussed with Zelensky is that “the most immediate needs are [sistemas de] anti-aircraft guns and long-range missiles”.
Earlier, Sunak revealed that he had asked the defense minister to assess the possibility of supplying aircraft to the Ukrainian army, a spokesman revealed, saying this could only be a “long-term solution”.
“The prime minister has instructed the defense minister [Ben Wallace] to see which planes we could provide, but this is clearly a long-term solution and not a short-term capacity, which is what Ukraine needs most at the moment,” Sunak’s spokesman said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a visit to London today, reiterated the request to the Allies of military fighter jets for the country to defend against the Russian invasion, claiming that they will be the country’s “wings for freedom”.
To reinforce the message, during a speech in parliament he presented the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, with a Ukrainian Air Force helmet, on which a Ukrainian pilot wrote the phrase: “We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it”.
“I hope this symbol will help our next coalition, Coalition of Aircraft, and I appeal to you and the world, in simple yet very important words: fighter jets for Ukraine, wings for freedom,” Zelensky added.
Rishi Sunak had already announced this morning the United Kingdom’s decision to train Ukrainian pilots to use modern fighter jets used by NATO countries.
With Lusa
Source: DN
