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Sunak: 'Nothing is off the table' concerning weapons for Ukraine

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Sunak: 'Nothing is off the table' concerning weapons for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold a news conference at an army camp on Feb. 8, 2023, in Dorset, England. (Photo Peter Nicholls-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Feb. 8 that "nothing is off the table" in terms of military aid to Ukraine, including fighter jets.

Appearing with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dorset, Sunak said that "when it comes to fighter combat aircraft, of course they are part of the conversation."

Earlier on Feb. 8, Sunak's spokesperson told the media that Sunak asked British Defense Minister Ben Wallace to look into which planes the U.K. can send to Ukraine.

The move is a departure from earlier statements by the British government that sending combat aircraft to Ukraine would not be practical, as they are extremely complicated pieces of equipment that take months to learn to fly.

Sunak added that the U.K. would deploy the promised Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine by March.

Zelensky made a surprise visit to London, where he met with the heads of state, as well as King Charles III, on Feb. 8.

In his speech to the British parliament, Zelensky asked for planes, in order to be able to resist and overcome Russia.

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The Kyiv Independent news desk

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