British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has committed to training Ukrainian fighter jet pilots, according to a statement made before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to London on 8 February.

In addition, Sunak offered to support other initiatives, including training Ukrainian sailors and supplying longer-range weapons. According to the latest statements given to lawmakers, the agreement could be extended to include military helicopter pilots.

According to the statement, which also mentioned strengthening long-term support, the leaders will discuss a two-pronged approach to Britain’s support to Ukraine. Britain and some of its allies have so far rejected Ukraine’s requests for modern fighter jets, but the statement said the upcoming training will enable pilots to fly sophisticated fighter jets to NATO standard in the future.

Ukrainian pilots are expected to be trained with Royal Air Force Hawk jet trainers and Typhoon multi-purpose fighter jets. The pilot training offer is part of the UK’s wider initiative to upskill the Ukrainian military. The British government said Britain and some of its allies have trained around 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the UK over the past few months, with 20,000 more soldiers scheduled to learn combat skills this year.

Sunak: “I am proud that by expanding this training today from soldiers to marines to fighter jet pilots, we will ensure that Ukraine has an army that can defend its interests in the future. It is not just our commitment to provide military equipment in the short term, but to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine for years to come. It underlines our commitment.”