Rishi Sunak told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he was determined to ensure the delivery of military supplies from the UK to Ukraine as soon as possible.
During a telephone conversation on Saturday, the prime minister said Ukrainian troops in the UK had begun training this week on the Challenger 2 main battle tanks that the UK had promised to supply to Kyiv.
The government’s decision to supply 14 Challengers came after the US, Germany and other European countries announced that they would also supply tanks to Ukraine, which was seen as a potential game-changer for Ukraine.
The Challenger 2 tanks will go to the front lines at the end of March after the Ukrainian crews complete the training program.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “Both leaders agreed that it is vital that international partners speed up assistance to Ukraine, seize the opportunity to push back Russian forces and consider how to build capacity to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. long term. strength.
“The biggest weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal was the collective international detachment in support of Ukraine,” the leaders agreed.
This is because the bodies of British humanitarian volunteers who died in Ukraine were returned as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia.
The bodies of 28-year-old Christopher Perry and 48-year-old Andrew Bagshaw were discovered during an exchange that resulted in the release of 116 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
At a turning point last month, Germany agreed to supply Ukraine with a company of 14 Leopard 2 tanks as part of the European coalition, delivering some 80 tanks in total.
Since the tanks would be made in Germany, the Allies needed Berlin’s permission to export them to Ukraine, and Portugal was the latest country to announce on Saturday that it would send some of its supplies.
The US is also delivering 31 M1 Abrams tanks as Ukraine plans an offensive to push the Russians out of its territory.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that he would receive between 120 and 140 Western tanks as part of a “first wave” of supplies from a coalition of 12 countries.
Zelenskiy also urged the West to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, but so far no country has done so.
Earlier this week, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson broke with Western leaders when he called on them to supply planes to Ukraine, despite Sunak and US President Joe Biden ruling out the possibility.
Mr Johnson tells Fox News: Save time, save money, save lives. Give the Ukrainians what they need as soon as possible. do this thing. Forget about Putin. Strive for long-term economic stability, peace and prosperity.”
Western tanks were hailed as the main impetus for the 11-month war in Ukraine, but the sole purpose of bringing them to the battlefield was to drive the invading troops out of Ukraine, not to “weaken or crush” Russia, according to the former commander in chief. British Army General Lord Dannutt.
“The goal is simply to rid Ukraine of Russian troops. It’s not wider. And we have to keep talking about it,” he said. I.
“To be very clear about Russia, if they want to hear it, we don’t want to weaken Russia or destroy Russia, but it’s perfectly legal for us to stop them from further incursions into other countries.”
It is “absolutely true” that the West is now providing military equipment with tanks as the backbone of these offensive capabilities to enable the Ukrainians to counterattack the Russians in the not so distant future, Lord Dunnatt said.
He added: “The prospects for a negotiated solution to this war are practically zero, since the positions of Zelinsky and Putin are incompatible and therefore the end of this war will be on the battlefield.”
While President Zelensky has again urged the West to supply fighter jets, the outlook remains “very bleak,” he added.
“I think that some former Soviet satellite countries, such as Poland, the Czech Republic and other similar countries that still operate Soviet-era fast jets, can be persuaded to provide Ukraine with some aircraft for Ukrainian pilots to fly.
“But it is quite another thing to claim that modern, high-tech Western aircraft, piloted by international pilots, will play a role in this war. We just won’t do it.”
According to him, Chancellor Scholz’s decision to provide Leopard 2 tanks is also important because they are intended for conscripts, which makes it easier for Ukrainians to adapt.
Source: I News
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