Britain announced an immediate surge of military deliveries to Ukraine to help it fend off an intensifying Russian offensive and pledged to train its pilots as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on a rare visit abroad. London was Zelensky’s first stop on only his second trip abroad since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 after a visit to the United States in December. 

He is due to travel onto Brussels on Thursday where the European Union is holding a summit. Greeted by Sunak on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street to applause from onlookers inside and outside the British prime minister’s office, Zelensky thanked Britain for its support “from the first days of the full-scale invasion”. “Thank you so much, we are proud, really, and have very good relations with Rishi,” Zelensky said.