Zelensky visits Britain

There’s a very good interview with Marina Litvinenko on The Rest is Politics Leading podcast.

Zelensky is a wonderful man, a true hero.

I wish him all the support he wants and needs to defeat Putin. And he is so right about Putin not stopping at Ukraine. Those who believe otherwise have their heads in the sand, or are guilty of short-termism.

CatsCatsCats you are right. We must learn from the past. Appeasement didn’t work in the thirties and it won’t work now. Bullies cannot be appeased. Putin is a bully and completely amoral.

Putin is a war criminal and is using thugs to fight his war. I just wish we could give Ukraine everything they need to defeat this monster and his acolytes.

Zelensky is a great leader and puts ours to shame.
Brilliant speech and so unassuming.

Zelensky is so brave and impressive. It's vital that we support him in his fight against evil . Who next if Ukraine is defeated?

Good to see the welcome given to Zelensky today, and that Sunak took the lead as PM, for once, and bloody Johnson was not trying to upstage him. I wonder if Johnson's buddy, you know the one who is the son of a KGB agent? The one who is now in the House of Lords? Was he there applauding Zelensky I wonder. Johnson seriously needs investigating.

Zelensky is an inspiration to the Ukrainian people. We must send everything we can. In time, if Russia become emboldened, they will attack Poland. Putin won’t stop. We have to stop him while we can.

Some blogs in the UK are saying “why us? Why little UK in a recession? It’s not OUR war”.

Well if we don’t watch out, Europe will get dragged into this, via NATO, with boots on the ground next time.

We pussyfoot around this at our peril.

I loved that Zelensky, on meeting the King, said “all our fighter pilots are kings”.

Well said Sir.

I have tears of admiration every time I hear or read about what Zelensky has said, and now reading "All our fighter pilots are kings" .... what an inspirational leader.

I remember when Zelensky became the Ukraine PM.
“A former celebrity comedian?” laughed the press & media.

‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’.

Ukraine couldn’t wish for a better leader.

henetha

Zelensky is so brave and impressive. It's vital that we support him in his fight against evil . Who next if Ukraine is defeated?

Yes, this and everything you have all said.

We mustn't forget the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) either.
Nor Crimea.

Where next if Putin is not stopped?

There’s a wonderful picture of him in a helicopter with Rishi, both laughing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh before.

I think it’s wrong of Johnson saying we should send fighter jets. That would mean that we are in direct conflict with Russia. Yet again the man is behaving like a loose cannon and is fantasying about being a Great War leader. Zelensky is brilliant at playing people off against each other. I think it’s wrong that he allowed Johnson to undermine Sunak: the former should have kept a low profile (as if). Just when you want him to just go off to America and make more millions giving talks he finds the time to do his proper job….

MayBee70

I think it’s wrong of Johnson saying we should send fighter jets. That would mean that we are in direct conflict with Russia. Yet again the man is behaving like a loose cannon and is fantasying about being a Great War leader. Zelensky is brilliant at playing people off against each other. I think it’s wrong that he allowed Johnson to undermine Sunak: the former should have kept a low profile (as if). Just when you want him to just go off to America and make more millions giving talks he finds the time to do his proper job….

President Zelensky requested (pleaded) for fighter jets, PM Sunak has said nothing is off of the table

President Zelensky also credited and thanked Mr,Johnson for bringing together Countries to support Ukraine when it was first invaded.

I am not a Mr.Johnson fan, there are many many things he has done wrong, but his support for Ukraine is not one of them.

President Putin has to be stopped, it will be down to NATO and World Leaders to decide how and when.

It doesn’t matter what BJ says though does it? He’s no longer the Prime Minister and he doesn’t make the decisions and Zelensky knows this. Whether or not we should send fighter jets is a completely different matter. It’s very tricky isn’t it? On balance I think we do need to fully support Ukraine. We had to commit to full support with WW2 and it may well be that we need to commit to full support now. This war must be won because if it is not, the consequences for Europe could be extremely undesirable. Where next if Putin takes Ukraine? Poland? Estonia? Latvia? Finland? It’s unimaginable.

Must say I admire President Zelensky immensely, what a great leader he is to Ukraine , he certainly will go down in history . I’m all for the USA & the West to give them all the necessary equipment & resources to win this war , whatever that takes . Ukraine didn’t ask to be put in this position , Putin should be stopped once and for all , Putin is Evil on this Earth .

What worries me though is when Putin goes/dies/killed will there be a Putin MkII moving into take lead. Oh for a Zelensky MkII in Russia to take the initiative.

I am not a Mr.Johnson fan, there are many many things he has done wrong, but his support for Ukraine is not one of them.

Johnson's 'support' for Ukraine was just a load of grandstanding and nothing that, I hope, any other British PM would have done.

I'm afraid I can't get over Johnson's close links with Russia over the years; Russian interference in the Brexit referendum campaign, Johnson's suppression of the Russia Report, his ennobling of the son of a KGB agent, the enormous Russian donations to the tory party and the extraordinary tardiness with which sanctions were imposed on Russian oligarchs with assets in the UK, slow enough to give them time to move out ass much as possible.

He's been playing his usual dirty double game

'... nothing that any other........ PM wouldn't have done'

I worry about that too, Jaylou. Would the end of Putin necessarily mean the end of conflict with Russia?

If we send fighter jets we have to send people to fly them. Surely Ukrainian pilots can’t be trained up in the time available? This is a slippery slope imo.

MayBee70

If we send fighter jets we have to send people to fly them. Surely Ukrainian pilots can’t be trained up in the time available? This is a slippery slope imo.

Ukrainian pilots and other forces are in the U.K. and other NATO Countries already, President Zelensky visited some here yesterday with the PM.

As has been posted upthread, it’s not the flying of the planes, it’s the maintenance and upkeep which is integral to safety.

MayBee70

If we send fighter jets we have to send people to fly them. Surely Ukrainian pilots can’t be trained up in the time available? This is a slippery slope imo.

We have been on a slippery slope since President Putin annexed Crimea, doing nothing is not feasible it would give him the green light to continue where and when he desired.