President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 8 landed in London and posted a photo of himself with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the airport.
"The United Kingdom was one of the first to come to Ukraine's aid," Zelensky said. "And today I'm in London to personally thank the British people for their support and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his leadership."
Zelensky will also meet with King Charles III, according to the Guardian.
This is Zelensky’s second foreign visit since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The U.K. will train Ukrainian pilots and marines and provide longer-range weapons to Kyiv, Sunak's office said on Feb. 8.
The prime minister's office said that the U.K. would "offer to provide Ukraine with longer range capabilities" in an effort to disrupt "Russia’s ability to continually target Ukraine’s civilian and critical national infrastructure and help relieve pressure on Ukraine’s frontlines."
Zelensky's visit comes as Ukraine is seeking to obtain better weapons to withstand a potential Russian offensive and liberate Ukrainian territory.
Critics argue that allies’ reluctance to supply F-16 fighters and long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine will prevent Kyiv from launching a major counteroffensive and liberating the rest of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine’s lack of advanced aircraft and missiles will likely prolong Russia’s war of aggression and result in thousands of deaths.
