London — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a rare trip out of his country Wednesday, daring to visit Britain in a bid for more advanced weapons as Kyiv braces for an expected Russian offensive and hatches its own plans to retake land held by Moscow's forces.
British media reported that Zelenskyy arrived on a Royal Air Force plane at London Stansted airport north of the U.K. capital. It's his first trip to the U.K. since Russia's invasion began nearly a year ago and only his second confirmed journey outside Ukraine during the war.
A large convoy of vehicles left the airport shortly after the plane landed for the drive to central London, where Zelenskyy will hold talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street.
Zelenskyy will also address Parliament and meet with King Charles III and U.K. military chiefs during his visit.
The U.K. is one of the biggest military backers of Ukraine and has sent the country more than 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) in weapons and equipment.
The visit comes as Sunak announced that Britain will train Ukrainian pilots on “NATO-standard fighter jets.” Ukraine has urged its allies to send jets, though the U.K. says it's not practical to provide the Ukrainian military with British warplanes.
More than 10,000 Ukrainian troops have also been trained at bases in the U.K., some on the Challenger 2 tanks that Britain is sending.
“I am proud that today we will expand that…
