LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday morning, where he is expected to receive new military aid commitments from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Zelensky’s previously unannounced visit to Britain is the latest stop on a tour of Western European countries aimed at securing new aid pledges for Ukraine’s defense against Russia and maintaining the support of Kyiv’s allies.
During weekend visits, Ukraine’s leader secured fresh commitments from Berlin and Paris. Germany announced a military aid package totaling $2.95 billion, almost doubling its commitment since the start of the war. And Ukraine announced after Zelensky’s surprise visit to Paris that France agreed to train and equip several Ukrainian battalions with armored vehicles and light tanks.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
“What we are now seeing is absolutely unprecedented,” said Maria Kuznetsova, a spokesperson for rights group OVD-Info, which says that nearly 20,000 people have been detained for opposing the war, and hundreds, including children, have been criminally charged. “We have never seen such numbers in Russia.”
Pannett reported from Wellington, New Zealand. Christian Shepherd in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
