Ukraine war: A mission accomplished for Zelenskyy as there seems little doubt his country will be sent warplanes

Volodymyr Zelenskyy can fly home confident of a mission accomplished.

The Ukraine president came to say thank you to European nations for their support but to say he needs even more.

Zelenskyy was here most of all to soften up opinion about the next big step that Europe’s governments are about to take.

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There seems little doubt that Ukraine will be sent warplanes of some description eventually.

But it’s a huge step and he needs as much support for the idea as possible.

The West’s backing for Ukraine has evolved from giving just enough to keep the war going, hoping Vladimir Putin would be persuaded to give up because of sanctions and defeats.

His decision to double down instead and mobilise more men and a wartime economy means the West believes it must now give Ukraine all that it needs to win.

As former British military intelligence officer Philip Ingram told Sky News: “When the decision was made to send main battle tanks that was the step change and having done that I think politically that’s the allied countries saying we’re going back to the point until you defeat and push the Russians out of the geographic boundaries of Ukraine.”

And planning to send jets is almost certainly already under way. But there may not be quite the public appetite for sending the West’s most sophisticated airborne weapons. Zelenskyy’s task was moving the dial more in favour of such a bold move.

As has become abundantly clear, he is a formidable communicator. His message is that Ukraine’s war is everyone’s war. He tailors it to suit each audience.

In the majesty of Westminster Hall, he stood bathed in sunshine and gave one of the most memorable speeches ever delivered there. He spoke of Churchill and the values that Britain shares with his country – the love of freedom and democracy.

But the former comedian-turned-president combines soaring oratory with charm and humour, and never more so than in his closing comments designed to win over any last resistance to arming Ukraine with warplanes.

He had already handed the Speaker of the House of Commons the flying helmet of one of Ukraine’s best pilots, saying it was inscribed with the message: “We have freedom give us wings to protect it.”

“Leaving British parliament two years ago, I thanked you for delicious English tea,” he told the crowd of parliamentarians in the highlight of the speech. They roared with laughter.

“And I will be leaving the parliament today thanking all of you in advance for powerful English planes.” In the applause that followed they seemed more than persuaded.

Britain may have precious few of the multi-role planes Ukraine needs, but it could be instrumental in persuading others to send theirs, especially America whose president, Joe Biden, has for now ruled it out.

The speech also set the mood music ahead of meetings with European leaders who are, he says, already assuring him they will send planes.

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As Zelenskyy was wrapping up his trip, Russia released pictures of senior officials being shown around a tank factory. The message – you’re sending tanks, but we can make many more.

Ukraine is littered with the carcases of more than 1,500 Russian tanks, many with their turrets popped off by British supplied NLAW anti-tank missiles.

They will be no match for Western-supplied tanks that can operate at night and from a distance Russian commanders can only dream of. They are going to Ukraine not least because of its president’s extraordinary powers of communication and persuasion.

And his surprise whistlestop tour through Europe means it’s more than likely they’ll now be supported in the air by Western-supplied modern fighter jets at some point later this year.