[Central News Agency] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a lightning visit to the UK today and delivered a historic speech in English in the Westminster Hall of the Parliament in the afternoon. More than a thousand MPs and officials gathered and stood and listened throughout. The "freedom helmet" from the first-class flying officer of the Ukrainian Army presented by the relatives.

The helmet reads in English: "We have freedom, give us wings to protect it." (We have freedom, give us wings to protect it.)

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During Volodymyr Zelenskyy's first visit to the UK as president in October 2020, he met Lindsay Hoyle, the first foreign country Hoyle received since taking over as speaker in November 2019. leader.

At the end of his speech today, Zelensky mentioned that two years ago, he thanked Hoyle for the delicious English afternoon tea, and today, two years later, he looks forward to thanking the UK in advance for its generous provision of powerful British fighter jets.

Today's speech lasted about 23 minutes, during which it was interrupted many times by warm applause and good-natured laughter from the audience.

While appealing to Britain to support advanced fighter jets and long-range missiles, Zelensky also showed wit and humor.

He mentioned that he would meet King Charles III later to thank him for showing support for Ukraine while he was still crown prince.

He will tell the king that in England, the king can be an air force pilot, but in Ukraine, "the pilot is the king", and everyone has to do everything possible and impossible to present them with modern fighter jets to fight against atrocities .

Charles III served in the Royal Air Force and Navy.

Zelensky thanked Britain for its continued leadership in providing military aid to Ukraine.

He recalled that when he visited the UK in 2020, he was invited to sit in the armchair dedicated to the late Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who led Britain to victory in the Second World War. At that time, he did "have some feelings", but until today, He finally understood what he felt at the time, that is, "courage" can guide mankind through the most unimaginable difficulties and finally march towards victory; today, not only the Ukrainians, but also the British have shown courage, tenacity, and a strong national character .

Zelensky emphasized that from the moment Russia launched a full-scale aggression against Ukraine in February last year, Britain has always been with Ukraine;

He singled out former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was listening in the audience, and thanked him for uniting everyone in a seemingly impossible moment.

The presence of lawmakers and officials applauded this statement.

Zelensky said that "freedom" will win and Russia will lose; Britain and Ukraine are marching side by side to the most important victory for the world: victory over "war" itself.

He mentioned that before the outbreak of the all-out war between Russia and Ukraine, the United Kingdom provided military assistance to Ukraine. "Such precautionary measures are the correct approach to prevent any future aggression."

Zelensky emphasized that "preventive assistance", "preventive sanctions" must become the basic principles of global anti-war policy to assist all "threats of aggression".

After the speech, Zelensky walked off the stage and shook hands with important officials and MPs sitting in the front row, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, opposition Labor Party leader Skell (Keir Starmer), former Prime Minister Johnson and Truss (Liz Truss), etc.

As a speaking venue, Westminster Hall has historical significance; since World War II, not many foreign leaders have been invited to speak here. South African President Nelson Mandela and French President Charles de Gaulle in 1960.

In September last year, Charles III also delivered his first parliamentary speech after taking the throne in Westminster Hall.

Today's noon happens to be the fixed "Prime Minister's Questions" time every Wednesday in the House of Commons of the British Parliament; Sunak said that he and his government hope that Ukraine will achieve a "decisive military victory" within this year.

Zelensky arrived in London this morning on a Royal Air Force plane and met with Sunak at the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street to share breakfast and hot tea.

The Prime Minister's Office announced before the start of the talks that the British plan to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces will expand from land warfare to sea and airspace, including the Ukrainian Marine Corps and Air Force pilots, so as to ensure that the Ukrainian Army has the ability to control the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO) specification fighter.

The UK is also expected to provide a "longer-range" strike capability to disrupt Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure and "reduce pressure on the Ukrainian frontline".

In March last year, Zelensky delivered an impromptu speech to the British Parliament in Ukrainian through video and simultaneous interpretation.

(Editor: Chen Zhengjian) 1120209