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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Andrew Quinn

Zelensky thanks Scotland for support during Westminster address

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky gave a nod to Scotland as he addressed the UK Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

Zelensky mentioned Scotland as he thanked the United Kingdom for its support during his speech at Westminster Hall to MPs and journalists.

He was addressing Parliament as part of a surprise trip to the UK which includes a meeting with King Charles.

It was the first time that he had visited the UK since the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.

After his speech he also shook the hand of SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.

He opened his speech with: "“The people of the United Kingdom and their honourable representatives, all the people of England and Scotland, of Wales and Northern Ireland, of all the lands which have been home to brave souls since Europe came into existence.

“I have come here and stand before you on behalf of the brave, on behalf of our war heroes who are now in the trenches under enemy artillery fire, on behalf of our air gunners, and every defender of the sky who protects Ukraine against enemy aircraft and missiles, on behalf of our tank men who fight to restore our Ukrainian borders, on behalf of our conscripts who are being trained now including here in Britain.

“Thank you, Britain.”

Flynn tweeted a photo of himself and the Ukrainian President shaking hands afterwards.

The caption said: "An honour and a privilege. Slava Ukraini."

Zelensky also thanked former prime minister Boris Johnson for the support he showed as Russia launched its invasion.

The Ukrainian president said: “London has stood with Kyiv since day one, from the first seconds and minutes of the full-scale war, Great Britain you extended your helping hand when the world had not yet come to understand how to react.

“Boris: you got others united when it seemed absolutely impossible. Thank you.”

He also urged the UK and Western allies to provide “wings for freedom” by supplying his air force with advanced jets.

Zelensky presented a Ukrainian fighter ace’s helmet to Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and said more planes were needed to defeat Vladimir Putin’s forces.

He said: “I appeal to you and the world with simple and yet most important words: combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had announced plans earlier to train Ukrainian pilots which would pave the way for them eventually being able to fly sophisticated Nato-standard jets.

The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said that the UK Government was considering giving fighter jets to Ukraine.

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