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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky makes first visit to the UK since Russian invasion
" President Volodymyr Zelensky will make his first visit to the UK since the Russian invasion of his country on Wednesday, Downing Street said.
He was due in the UK to meet Rishi Sunak and visit Ukrainian troops being trained in the country. He was also expected to give an address to Parliament.
The Prime Minister said: “President Zelensky’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."
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The Ukrainian president visited Joe Biden in the White House in December on his first trip outside his country since the war started on February 24 last year. He also addressed Congress.
His trip to the UK comes almost a year after he made a virtual address to the UK Parliament.
It is believed to be his second foreign visit since the conflict started.
✓ Mr Sunak, who visited Kyiv in November, also announced on Wednesday that the UK’s military support programme would be expanded to train Ukrainian pilots and marines.
Britain has led the way in delivery military equipment to Kyiv, being the first to pledge to send battle tanks, with 14 Challenger IIs being delivered in coming months.
✓ Mr Zelensky will discuss with the Prime Minister his pledge of an “immediate surge” in military equipment to Ukraine to help counter Russia’s spring offensive, reinforced by long-term desupport.
The UK training for Ukraine has seen 10,000 troops brought to battle readiness in the last six months, and a further 20,000 soldiers being “upskilled” this year.
Mr Sunak added: “Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces, allowing them to defend their country, protect their sovereignty and fight for their territory.
“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.
“It also underlines our commitment to not just provide military equipment for the short term, but a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine for years to come.”
✓ Britain was also due to announce further sanctions on Wednesday in response to Russia’s continued bombardment of Ukraine, including targeting individuals who have helped Vladimir Putin build his personal wealth, and companies who are profiting from the Kremlin’s war machine.
Mr Zelensky’s visit to the UK comes after former PM Boris Johnson travelled to Kyiv last month.
Mr Johnson said it was a “privilege” to travel to the country as he visited the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital city before being received by Mr Zelensky.
Mr Zelensky’s visit comes as Putin’s army ramped up its winter assault in eastern Ukraine, shipping tens of thousands of freshly mobilised troops to the battlefield.
Kyiv expects Moscow to broaden its offensive in the north east and south of the country.
Russia-Ukraine Crisis:: Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine war timeline
On Tuesday evening, Ukrainian Armed Forces said that more than 30 towns and villages in Kharkiv and 20 communities in Zaporizhzhia had come under fire.
But they said that 1,030 Russian troops had been killed in 24 hours, the bloodiest daily death toll since the war began almost a year.
The figure could not be independently verified, and the Kremlin claimed that thousands of Ukrainian troops had been killed or injured in recent weeks.
Ukraine national security chief Oleksiy Danilov said that the Kremlin is expected to target the northeastern Kharkiv or southern Zaporizhzhia regions in a new thrust.
"Attempts at an offensive in either the Kharkiv or Zaporizhzhia direction will of course be made," he said, speaking in his office in Kyiv.
"How successful they’ll be will depend on us."
Shortly after Mr Zelensky’s visit was announced, Tory party chairman Greg Hands told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I think it is a really significant moment.
“The UK has been right at the forefront of the strong global coalition to assist Ukraine which has been so ably fronted by President Zelensky.
“We’re really looking forward to President Zelensky and his visit today, not just for the symbolism, but also practical discussions on how the UK can help even further.
“We need to keep rallying that global coalition, we need to make sure that Ukraine has access to all of the weaponry that it needs to be able to continue defending itself and to ultimately win that war against Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
“That’s in all of our interests and make sure that they have that equipment to be able to win that war. I don’t think there’s any better outcome than Ukraine actually expelling Russian forces from its territory.”
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