Russia must boost tank production as West keeps arming Ukraine: Medvedev

Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev says the country must boost production of tanks as the West keeps arming Ukraine.

Medvedev, who is currently the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said on Thursday that acceleration in manufacturing tanks in Russia would be a response to Western countries that pour advanced weapons and military equipment, including battle tanks, into Ukraine.

"As we know, our adversary (Ukraine) has been begging abroad for planes, missiles, tanks. How should we respond? It is clear that in this case, it is natural for us to increase production of various armaments, including modern tanks," he said, during a visit to a tank factory in the Siberian city of Omsk.

Medvedev's comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently on a European tour, seeking more arms, particularly fighter jets.

The Ukrainian leader's first stop on Wednesday was in the United Kingdom, where he met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III. He also addressed British parliamentarians.

Later on Wednesday, Zelensky arrived in Paris, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. On Thursday, he flew to Brussels, where he made a heartfelt appeal to European lawmakers to allow his country to become part of the European Union, insisting that Europe is Ukraine’s “home.”

Zelensky is desperately trying to secure fighter jets and long-range weapons from European allies, saying they are needed to defend Ukraine against invading Russian forces, who are reportedly gearing up for a spring offensive.

The UK pledged to send Ukraine 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Germany will send Kiev 14 of its state-of-the-art Leopard 2 tanks and nearly 180 of its Leopard 1 tanks. The United States, for its part, has already pledged to provide the ex-Soviet republic with 31 M1 Abrams tanks.

In France, Ukraine's Zelensky presses for fighter jets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has traveled to France, his second foreign destination in a single day after the United Kingdom, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, pressing them for more weaponry, fighter jets in particular, amid the ongoing war with Russia.

Some European leaders promised aircraft: Zelensky

Separately on Thursday, the Ukrainian president said he had heard from some European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels that they were ready to provide Kiev with aircraft. This means that one of the biggest shifts yet in Western support for Ukraine is about to occur and European allies are closer to lifting one of the main taboos in military aid to Kiev against Moscow.

Zelensky, however, gave no further details and there was no immediate confirmation from any European countries.

"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," Zelensky said at a news conference. "I have a number of bilaterals now, we are going to raise the issue of the fighter jets and other aircraft."

Meanwhile, his chief of staff Andry Yermak said the question of long-range weaponry and fighter jets for Ukraine "has been resolved" and that details would follow.

Regarding his trilateral meeting with Macron and Scholz, Zelensky said some of what he had been promised in Paris by French and German leaders were still secret. "There are certain agreements which are not public, but which are positive. I don't want to prepare the Russian Federation, which is constantly threatening us with new aggression."

In a speech delivered to the summit of the 27 leaders of EU countries, the Ukrainian president called for tighter sanctions on Moscow. "I am grateful to all of you who are helping, grateful to everyone who understands how much Ukraine right now needs these possibilities. We need artillery guns, shells for them, modern tanks, long-range missiles, modern aircraft," Zelensky told EU leaders.

In response to Zelensky's European tour for gathering more arms, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is Ukrainian people who would suffer more if the UK or other Western countries supply fighter jets to Kiev. Peskov also warned the line between indirect and direct Western involvement in the war is disappearing. Such actions "lead to an escalation of tension, prolong the conflict and make the conflict more and more painful for Ukraine," the Kremlin spokesman warned.

Ukraine's Zelensky makes historic visit to London, seeking fighter jets

The Ukrainian president made his second overseas trip since the onset of the war.

UK aware of risks of arming Ukraine with more weapons: London

Sunak's spokesman said on Thursday London is aware of "potential escalatory risks" in equipping Ukraine with more Western weaponry. "We are aware of potential escalatory risks. But throughout we have been confident the approach we are taking is the best and quickest way to help Ukraine end this war, which is obviously in everyone's interest."

According to the spokesman, London would keep discussing "provision of capabilities" with allies. He said "every action we take will obviously have an eye to potential risks of escalation."

The British air force is currently equipped with two fighter jets, namely the cutting-edge F35B, and the older Eurofighter Typhoon. The latter was produced in collaboration with Germany, Italy and Spain.

Separately, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said London would need clearance from the other European nations to send any Typhoons. "But also Britain hasn't said it is necessarily going to send fighter jets to Ukraine. What it's said is we're going to start training to improve the resilience of Ukraine, probably post-conflict."

The British prime minister has already promised to train Ukrainian pilots to fly advanced NATO fighter jets. 

Russia launched what it calls "a special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, over the perceived threat of the ex-Soviet republic joining NATO. Since then, the United States and Ukraine's other allies have sent Kiev tens of billions of dollars' worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems. Western countries have also imposed a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow. The Kremlin has said the sanctions and the Western military assistance will only prolong the war.

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