Ukrainian President to address British MPs, press on the need to bolster regional security

London (UK): The President of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, has been invited to address British members of Parliament virtually on Tuesday amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle confirmed.

Zelenskyy's "historic" address will take place at 1700 GMT and will be shown on screens being installed in the Commons chamber.

It will follow British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's meetings with the leaders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to discuss the crisis in the region and the need to boost security efforts in central Europe.

"Every parliamentarian wants to hear directly from the President, who will be speaking to us live from Ukraine, so this is an important opportunity for the House, said Hoyle.

"Thanks again to our incredible staff for working at pace to make this historic address possible," he said.

Zelenskyy, a former comedian and actor turned politician, has been centre stage as Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces began an armed conflict with Ukraine last month.

Last week, the 44-year-old leader received a standing ovation when he spoke to the European Parliament, also via videolink.

He has been in regular phone contact with Prime Minister Johnson, who launched a week of diplomacy to create a coalition against Russia's actions in Ukraine.

He hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Dutch PM Mark Rutte at Downing Street on Monday and later spoke with US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to maintain pressure on Russia to isolate Putin diplomatically and economically.

It came as a plan to fast-track UK sanctions against allies of Vladimir Putin got through the House of Commons at rapid speed, backed by all parties on Monday. The UK government says its Economic Crime Bill will stop wealthy Russians using the City of London for money laundering much quicker.

During the debate, condensed into a single day to try to get the measures into place as quickly as possible, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "The UK must send a strong signal that it will not be a home for corruption."

The bill, which now goes to the House of Lords and is expected to become law later this month, contains several measures to tackle oligarchs and companies associated with Putin. (PTI)