Zelenskyy's UK visit: In his first visit since the war began in Eastern Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit the United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 8. According to a statement by the British government, the embattled President will meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and also address the Parliament.
Notably, the UK emerged as the biggest military supporter of the war-ravaged country and has sent more than 2 billion pounds (USD 2,5 billion) in weapons and equipment to Ukraine so far.
Earlier in January, UK's newly-elected Prime Minister Sunak also promised to provide tanks and artillery systems to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression. Sunak made the pledge to provide Challenger 2 tanks and other artillery systems after speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, the British leader's Downing Street office said in a statement.
Russia-Ukraine war
It is significant to mention here that Russian President Putin ordered a special military operation on February 24 in Ukraine's Donbass region which swiftly extended across the country. The war between the two countries was declared after Russia recognised the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered its army to conduct a "peacekeeping operation" in the area.
As per reports, about 8 million Ukrainians were displaced within their country by late May, and more than 7.9 million fled the country by the first week of January 2023. Meanwhile, the invasion has also caused tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II.
(With inputs from AP)
