BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Aljazeera) - Volodymyr Zelenskyy said several European leaders have expressed a “readiness” to supply Kyiv with aircraft as the Ukrainian president wrapped up a rare, two-day trip outside of the country to seek new weaponry from the West.
“Europe will be with us until our victory. I’ve heard it from a number of European leaders … about the readiness to give us the necessary weapons and support, including the aircraft,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.
“I have a number of bilaterals now; we are going to raise the issue of the fighter jets and other aircraft,” he said.
Ukraine’s leader gave no further details about the pledges, which would mark one of the biggest shifts yet in Western support for Ukraine if confirmed.
There was no immediate confirmation from any European countries of the alleged promises.
Zelenskyy had earlier received rapturous applause and cheers from the European Parliament and met a summit of the European Union’s 27 leaders, insisting in a showpiece address that his country’s fight with Russia was one for the freedom of all of Europe.
To date, Ukraine’s Western backers have refused to send fighter jets to Kyiv amid fears of potentially escalating the war or becoming further embroiled themselves in the conflict.
Moscow has repeatedly warned it will retaliate against any such moves.
But the mood appeared to have begun to shift during Zelenskyy’s European tour, which began on Wednesday with trips to London and Paris.