NATO spy-craft and US fighter jet in ring of steel around Zelensky

Brussels: A NATO spy aircraft and US fighter jet escorted the plane carrying Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington in a complex international operation designed to keep the Ukrainian president safe on his first trip abroad since the war began.

Zelensky took off from Rzeszow airport in Poland and arrived early on Thursday (AEDT) at Joint Base Andrews, a 30-minute drive from the White House.

Thousands of flight-tracking enthusiasts monitored the progress of the US Air Force Boeing C-40B that was reported to be carrying the Ukrainian leader, which was not officially confirmed for secrecy purposes.

A NATO reconnaissance aircraft scoured the North Sea, which is known to be patrolled by Russian submarines, before the plane entered its airspace. And it was joined by an F-15 fighter jet launched from a base in Britain before it flew to Washington.

After landing in Washington, Zelensky said: “I am in Washington today to thank the American people, the president and the Congress for their much-needed support. And also to continue cooperation to bring our victory closer.”

Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news website, reported Zelensky travelled to Poland by train before boarding the flight.

Polish broadcaster TVN24 showed footage of him, blurred for security reasons, in the border town of Przemysl. Alexander Kamyshin, the head of the national railway, which has carried Zelensky on internal trips, tweeted: “A bit nervous. First time since the beginning of the war my president goes for a trip not by train.”

With Zelensky believed to be safely on board, the aircraft departed Rzeszow for Washington at 8.15am local time.

Roughly an hour before, a Boeing AWACS (airborne warning and control) plane that eavesdrops on communications was sent from its base in Geilenkirchen, Germany, to patrol over the North Sea, circling the waters.

And as the flight reported to be carrying Zelensky approached the North Sea, a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was dispatched to the area from its base in Mildenhall, Suffolk.

AWACS and F-15s are known to work closely together in the North Sea.

The fighter jet returned to base shortly after the US Air Force Boeing C-40B entered Scottish airspace.

A video recording shared on social media appeared to show the moment Scottish air traffic controllers welcomed the jet into the area.

But the plane soon dropped off open-source trackers, probably because of its transponder being turned on and off, only appearing for a brief period off the coast of Greenland in the Atlantic Ocean.

In Washington, Zelensky was met on the red carpet by a delegation of US officials.

He was wearing the now iconic khaki clothing that he has sported since the invasion began.

The Telegraph, London