British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his residence, 10 Downing Street, that he had “full support across the UK”.
The Ukrainian president, who arrived in the UK after meeting US President Donald Trump at the White House, told the British prime minister that he was glad his country had “good friends” like Britain. Zelenskyy and Sir Keir also signed a £2.26 billion loan for Ukraine’s military supplies, which will be paid for with profits from frozen Russian assets.
The prime minister will host a summit of European leaders on Sunday to discuss efforts to end the Russia- Ukraine war as well as wider European defence, while Zelensky will also meet King Charles III.
However, the key meetings will cover developments in Washington and concerns about tensions with the US. In recent weeks, the British prime minister has sought to portray himself as a key figure between the United States and Europe. The British prime minister’s cordial meeting with President Trump, a day before the US president’s scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is being hailed as significant.
During the meeting, the British prime minister presented a letter from King Charles III inviting Trump to a second state visit, which SNP MPs had called for to be withdrawn after the Oval Office row. The visit to 10 Downing Street on Saturday was an opportunity for the British prime minister to express his continued support for Zelensky after his public disagreement with Trump.
People gathered outside 10 Downing Street to cheer Zelensky’s arrival, after which Sir Keir told the Ukrainian leader during a meeting between the two leaders that “these are the people of Britain coming out to show how much they support you and that they stand with Ukraine.” He added, “We stand with you and Ukraine for as long as you need us, no matter how long it takes.
