British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Ukraine “cannot be left vulnerable for attack ever again,” in his opening remarks at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
Sunak said, “we must arm Ukraine in the short term but bolster Ukraine in the long term,” while speaking in front of a Challenger 2 battle tank in Dorset.
He said Ukrainian crews, who arrived in the UK last week, will be learning how to use Challenger 2 tanks “to defend Ukraine’s sovereign territory next month.” He also said the UK has agreed to expand its training program, which Sunak says has trained 10,000 troops in the last six months.
Sunak also said the UK will be “accelerating the delivery of our equipment” to ensure reaches Ukraine’s frontline in the coming “days and weeks, not years.”
President Zelensky thanked Sunak and the British people for standing with Ukraine during the press conference.
“Today it is very clear that we are standing together with Great Britain,” Zelensky said. “Thank you to all the people in Great Britain, thank you for these 350 days of unity.”
“I would also like to thank all of our Ukrainian warriors — every soldier, sergeant, officer, or general,” Zelensky added. “Our state is doing and will be doing everything to make sure that on the front line, we have everything in the maximum — the maximum that is owned by other leading countries. Ukraine will be among those countries that have everything to defend their people.”
Before speaking, Zelensky and Sunak met with Ukrainian troops being trained in Dorset on Challenger 2 tanks.
