Freedom will win, Volodymyr Zelensky tells UK Parliament

“Freedom will win,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said as he addressed Parliament during his first UK visit since Russia’s invasion.

He called on the West to provide fighter jets, saying: “Combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom.”

Thanking the UK for its “grit”, he said the country, through its support of Ukraine, had not compromised the “ideals of these great islands”.

Earlier, he held talks with PM Rishi Sunak in Downing Street.

Addressing a huge crowd of MPs and peers in the historic setting of Westminster Hall, he said: “Freedom will win – we know Russia will lose,” adding the UK was with his country on a march to “the most important victory of our lifetime”.

President Zelensky also singled out Boris Johnson for praise saying the ex-PM had united others “when it seemed impossible”.

During his speech, he presented the House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle with the helmet of a Ukrainian pilot.

The writing on the helmet reads: “We have freedom, give us wings to protect it.”

His visit comes as UK training of Ukrainian forces is set to be expanded to cover fighter jet pilots and marines.

The UK has also announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting Russia.

The latest sanctions target IT companies, as well as manufacturers of military equipment such as drones and helicopter parts.

Plans have been announced to train Ukrainian pilots to fly Nato-standard fighter jets in the future, a key request from Ukraine.

Western countries have been considering how to bolster support for Ukraine, with the country braced for a renewed Russian offensive later this month.

The expansion of the UK’s training programme signals a shift, after the UK said it was “not practical” for it to send its aircraft to Ukraine.

During his speech, President Zelensky also urged the UK and the West to continue imposing sanctions “until Russia is deprived of any possibility to finance the war”.

“Anyone who invests in terror must be held accountable, anyone who invests in violence must compensate those who have suffered from terror.”