Kyiv Mayor Klitschko's plea to Mayor of London: Send more anti-tank rockets

2 March 2022, 15:35

Ukrainian ambassador gives update from Mayor of Kyiv amid Russian invasion

The Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko has issued a plea for more anti-tank weapons to be sent to Ukraine - to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

The plea was issued via the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko, who met with Mr Khan on Wednesday.

"I talked to the Mayor of Kyiv, telling him that I will see the Mayor of London, and what sort of help he needs," Mr Prystaiko told Mr Khan.

"I thought that he would [say] something about water treatment, foods or something, but Mayor told me that he needs anti-tank rockets.

"That's where we are right now."

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The ambassador also said the county had received support from "people from all walks of life" with "all good intentions" - but said the donations of food and supplies at embassies and other locations were sometimes very difficult to process.

He urged people to instead donate to charities to help the humanitarian effort.

"At this particular moment what is mostly needed is money for the professionals, humanitarian organisations, Red Cross and the like, to work to help us do stuff," he said.

"Ukraine is far, far from here.

"We have to think about logistics, storing, sorting out, that's all the things that professionals know much better than us."

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Mr Prystaiko attended the House of Commons earlier for Prime Minister's Questions.

There he received a standing ovation from MPs from all parties.

Introducing him, speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle declared "our respect and support for your country".

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson then accused Putin of committing "war crimes" and said he had "gravely miscalculated" the invasion and the resistance it would be met with.

He earlier labelled Putin a "dictator" and told the house he had "underestimated the extraordinary fortitude of the Ukrainian people and the unity and resolve of the free world in standing up to his barbarism".

"The UN General Assembly will vote later today and we call on every nation to join us in condemning Russia and demanding that Putin turns his tanks around," Mr Johnson said.

"If instead Putin doubles down then so shall we, further ratcheting up economic pressure and supporting Ukraine with finance, with weapons and with humanitarian assistance."

He added: "We are certainly determined to do everything we can to help Ukrainians fleeing the theatre of conflict."