(Deletes reference to Russian troops in last paragraph) 

By Pavel Polityuk and Elizabeth Piper

KYIV/LONDON (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy embarked on a European tour on Wednesday to drum up aid, winning a British pledge to train Ukrainian pilots on advanced NATO fighter jets, a big step up in Western military support.

On just his second trip abroad since Russian forces invaded Ukraine last year, he met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and addressed parliament in London.

He was later due in Paris for dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, before a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels.

In his speech to British lawmakers, Zelenskiy repeatedly hammered home his plea for combat aircraft, which he referred to as "wings for freedom". Western countries have so far stopped short of providing warplanes or weapons that can strike deep inside Russia. 

Ukraine "will do everything possible and impossible to make the world provide us with modern planes to empower and protect pilots who will be protecting us," Zelenskiy said. He gave a pilot's helmet to parliamentary speaker Lindsay Hoyle carrying the message: "We have freedom, give us wings to protect it".Two years ago he had left the British parliament thanking lawmakers for "delicious English tea", Zelenskiy said. Now he would leave "thanking you in advance for powerful English planes".0

Shortly before his arrival, Britain announced plans to expand a programme training Ukraine's military to ensure its pilots could fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets.

The announcement gave no timeframe and stopped short of a commitment to provide Kyiv with British jets. But it signalled a notable shift in support that could pave the way for other countries to send planes.