London, Thanasis Gavos

In Downing Street entrance observed the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak the a minute of silence in which the whole country participated at 11 am local, in memory of the victims of the one-year war in Ukraine.

By his side, in front of a wreath in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, was the Ukrainian ambassador in London Vitaly Prystaiko. Ukrainian singers sang their country’s national anthem, while Ukrainian soldiers training on British soil were also present.

In his statement, Mr. Sunak said that he urges everyone “to reflect on the courage and bravery of our Ukrainian friends, who every hour since the invasion have fought heroically for their country.”

He also expressed pride in the support provided by the United Kingdom.

Opposition Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer visited members of Cardiff’s large Ukrainian community.

King Charles had issued a statement earlier. He said the Ukrainian people have shown “truly remarkable courage and resilience in the face of such a human tragedy”.

As the British monarch added, “I can only hope that the expressions of solidarity from around the world may bring not only practical help, but also strength from the knowledge that, together, we stand united.”

In the morning, an ecumenical memorial service was held in the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in central London, in the presence of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Meanwhile, referring to calls for British fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Britain was “not going to send its own Typhoon jets in the near future” as he said they were not easy to train and use.

He did, however, leave open the possibility that London could send its jets to countries likely to send Soviet-style fighters to the Ukrainians. Such a proposal is expected to be submitted by Mr. Sunak during a teleconference with the G7 leaders on Friday.