Colum Eastwood shakes hands with Volodymyr Zelensky after speech at Westminster

The Foyle MP shook hands with the Ukrainian leader after a speech in which the he had urged MPs and peers to provide his country with fighter jets to use against the Russian invasion forces.

Mr. Eastwood said: “Derry stands with Ukraine against [Vladimir – Russian President] Putin’s war against the Ukrainian people.”

In his speech, Mr. Zelensky said: “Thank you so much, thank you. The people of the United Kingdom and their honourable representatives, all the people of England and Scotland, of Wales and Northern Ireland, of all the lands which have been home to brave souls since Europe came into existence.”

He presented the Speaker of the House of Commons with a Ukrainian airman’s helmet and appealed for the direct provision of fighter jets for the war with Russia.

“I am proud of our air force, and I brought a present from them to you, Great Britain. I will explain, it is the helmet of a real Ukrainian pilot. He is one of our most successful aces and he is one of our kings.

“The writing on the helmet reads: ‘Give us wings to protect it.’

“I trust this symbol will help us for our next coalition, a coalition of the planes. And I appeal to you and the world with these most simple and yet important words: ‘Combat aircrafts for Ukraine. Wings for freedom’,” stated Mr. Zelensky.

Micky Kelly doing his bit to help Ukrainian refugees settle in north west