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Why Zelenskyy's London stop led on to Paris
Summary
A look back at the Ukrainian president's second trip abroad since the full-scale invasion and the European itinerary that followed.
What did it signal when Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, travelled to London and then onward to Paris? On 9 February 2023, a day after his visit to the United Kingdom, the trip was already taking shape as a multi-capital tour.
London first
On 8 February 2023, Zelenskyy visited the United Kingdom. It was his second trip outside Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, after a December 2022 visit to the United States. In London he met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and had an audience with King Charles III. He also addressed members of parliament in Westminster Hall, in the Houses of Parliament.
Then France
As reported at the time, the London visit was to be followed by a stop in France. There Zelenskyy was to meet President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The itinerary therefore brought together the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany within a short span, with the Ukrainian president travelling to them in person.
What the sequence showed
The pattern was plain. Having left Ukraine only once before, for the United States in December 2022, Zelenskyy now made a second journey that moved quickly from one European capital to the next. Pairing a parliamentary address and royal audience in London with talks involving the French president and German chancellor in France placed his appearances before both national institutions and heads of government.
The visit to Westminster Hall stood out in particular: addressing parliament from that setting put his message directly before British legislators, in addition to his meeting with the prime minister.
Looking back from today, 9 February 2023 sits between two stages of one journey: the London visit already completed, and the talks with Macron and Scholz still ahead.
