President Zelensky compares fight against Russia with ‘old evil’ of war with Germany
The Ukrainian president, who is Jewish, also used a historic Westminster Hall speech to call for fighter jets from allies including the UK to help ensure his country's victory
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
President Volodymyr Zelensky has compared the defeat of the “old evil” during the Second World War with the fight for “freedom” over Vladimir Putin’s Russia, during a historic Westminster Hall speech.
With the Prime Minister, opposition leaders, hundreds of MP, and journalists including Jewish News listening on, the Ukrainian president also pushed for fighter jets from allies to help ensure his country’s victory.
Wearing his trademark olive sweatshirt, Zelensky urged allies, including the UK, to send his country jets, saying combat aircraft would be “wings for freedom.”
He also called for stronger sanctions against Moscow, until “Russia is deprived of any possibility to finance this war.”
Following a meeting with Rishi Sunak at Downing Street, Jewish president Zelensky, was introduced by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to the packed audience inside historic Westminster Hall.
In a historic speech, delivered in English, the president put the current conflict with Russian President Putin in the same context as the fight for freedom in the Second World War.
Referring to the Second World War, he said: “The horizon never stays clear for a while. Once the old evil is defeated, a new one is attempting to raise its head.”
He said during that war “our people went through crisis” and yet they found stamina.
Packed Westminster Hall for Zelensky speech”Freedom will win… we know Russia will lose,” Zelensky told MPs, adding the UK was with his country on a march to “the most important victory of our lifetime”
Zelensky praised the former PM Boris Johnson who he said had “strong character” and never compromised on Ukraine.
He added the UK “is marching with us to the most important victory of our lifetime”.
“After we win together, any aggressor will know what awaits him if he attacks international order,” Zelensky added.
When the full scale invasion of Ukraine began last February, Zelensky said his country, along with with the UK, US and other allies “formed a true coalition of friends”.
“You were among those very few who helped before [the] large scale invasion began,” he says.
Zelensky also noted how the UK is training Ukrainian soldiers in Britain to operate Challenger tanks.
He thanked current PM Rishi Sunak, who pledged to donate 14 battle tanks.
Zelensky also said his meeting with King Charles later on Wednesday “will be a truly special moment for me”.
“In Britain, the King is an air force pilot and in Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a king,” he said.
He also spoke of his fondness for English tea in one of several lighter moments in the 30 minute address.
Zelenskiy is one of a small group of world leaders who have given speeches at parliament’s oldest building, including Charles de Gaulle, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama.
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