Three years have passed since Russia initiated its military actions in Ukraine, and the devastation of assets such as the Antonov An-225 remains a heartbreaking reality.
In a significant turn of events, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convening in Washington with US President Donald Trump to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
This meeting follows a recent encounter between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
A multitude of European leaders are also heading to the United States to support Zelenskyy in his efforts to seek peace for Ukraine, leading to a notable increase in government jet flights across the North Atlantic.
Zelenskyy’s official travel to the US involved a private Airbus Corporate Jets ACJ319 with the registration UR-ABA.
This aircraft departed from Melsbroek Air Base in Belgium around 18:06 local time.
After approximately eight hours of flight, it arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 20:24 local time.
This airbase, located about 15 miles from the White House, serves as a primary gateway for government aircraft to Washington DC.
UR-ABA, which is now 17.9 years old, was initially delivered to JetAlliance in Austria before being acquired by the Ukrainian Government in December 2008.
As a VIP-configured aircraft, this narrowbody twinjet continues to play a vital role in representing Ukraine on the international stage.
Zelenskyy’s journey marks just one segment of a broader movement involving several European leaders traveling to the US to vocalize support for Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was captured on video boarding his own Airbus Corporate Jet (registration 15+01) at the time of writing.
This plane took off from Cologne Bonn Airport and made a stop in Munich before heading towards Glasgow Prestwick International Airport in Scotland.
Merz’s jet departed from the Scottish airport at 09:31 local time, where it joined other government flights heading for Washington, D.C.
Not to be outdone, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also commenced a similar trip, departing from Glasgow at 08:00 on his A321LR aircraft registered as G-GBNI.
The excitement surrounding these visits intensified as it became known that Starmer and Merz would soon be accompanied by their European counterparts, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Other notable attendees are Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
In a demonstration of the collective European effort, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also slated to be present at the talks in Washington.
This gathering is resulting in an impressive surge of European government jets flying across the Atlantic to lend their backing to Ukraine.
One example of this logistical undertaking involved a German Air Force Bombardier Global 5000 (registration 14+02) which flew from Brussels to Andrews AFB just ahead of Zelenskyy’s arrival.
This Luftwaffe jet departed Brussels at 17:39 and landed at 19:37 local time, highlighting the coordinated support for Ukraine amid ongoing hostilities.
As the world watches these developments, the vital discussions in Washington could hold significant implications for the future of Ukraine and its relations with global leaders.
image source from：simpleflying
