Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed British MPs in what has been deemed an “important opportunity” by the House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
“We shall go on to the end”, Zelenskyy said, invoking a famous speech by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the same spot on 4 June 1940, as World War II raged across the continent.
The MPs responded with a standing ovation. A speech at the UK Parliament by a foreign leader is a rare occurrence. Zelenskyy requested to read a statement to the House of Commons, and it was widely expected that the Ukrainian leader would again call for a no-fly zone over the country.
NATO ministers and Western leaders alike have refused the request due to concerns that the Kremlin might see its implementation as an act of war. Zelenskyy’s address took place on the 13th day of the war in Ukraine, amid claims that the Russian army went back on its assurances of a ceasefire once again, shelling the humanitarian corridor in Mariupol.
Meanwhile, the British government has been criticised for its failure to accept a more significant number of refugees from Ukraine, with only 50 visas issued to those fleeing the war and the Russian invasion.
“Every parliamentarian wants to hear directly from the president, who will be speaking to us live from Ukraine, so this is an important opportunity for the House,” Hoyle said while announcing the speech on Tuesday.
