Ukrainian President Zelensky meets with British Prime Minister Sunak at Checkers in London

“Welcome back”. With these words and after an effusive hug, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, welcomed the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski.

At the end of his fleeting visit to Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelenski arrived at the Checkers country residence, on the outskirts of London.

The images captured the moment when the military helicopter carrying Zelenski landed in the gardens of this mansion, located in the English county of Buckinghamshire.

For his part, the British Prime Minister has stated in a statement that this is a “crucial” moment in the Ukrainian resistance “to a terrible war of aggression that they neither chose nor provoked.”

“They need the continued support of the international community to fend off the barrage of relentless and indiscriminate attacks that have become their reality for over a year. We must not let them down.”

This meeting is part of a European tour to reaffirm the commitment of Ukraine’s allies, in addition to collecting the support of the Vatican in a meeting with Pope Francis.

Little is known about Zelensky’s official schedule as the visit was unplanned. The intention of the Ukrainian president is to stock up on military equipment and support in order to launch his long-awaited counteroffensive.

This meeting is expected to last several hours, but it has not been reported whether both leaders will offer a press conference, although it is considered unlikely given that Checkers is a country residence.

Last week, the British government confirmed that it will send “Storm Shadows” conventional long-range missiles to Ukraine.

In addition, the Downing Street residence has issued a statement on Monday ensuring that the prime minister is expected to confirm the shipment of long-range drones, with a capacity to cover 200 kilometers, which will be provided to Ukraine in the coming months while this country prepares to intensify resistance to the Russian invasion.

This same Monday, the Ukrainian Army was able to celebrate the “first success” of its offensive on the outskirts of the city of Bakhmut.