Sir Keir Starmer told Volodymyr Zelensky that he had “full support through the United Kingdom” when the two met in Downing Street.
The Ukrainian President told the Prime Minister that he was happy that his country had “such friends”, after his arrival in the United Kingdom following a White House meeting with US President Donald Trump that descended into a row between the two leaders.
Zelensky and Sir Keir also signed a loan of 2.26 billion pounds Sterling for Ukrainian military supplies, which will be reimbursed using the benefits of frozen Russian assets.
After Saturday’s meeting, Sir Keir spoke with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Prime Minister will organize a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday on efforts to end the Russian-Ukraine war, as well as the wider European defense, while Zelensky will also meet King Charles III.
These meetings will now be overshadowed by events in Washington and concerns concerning a hardening of relations with the United States.
In recent weeks, the Prime Minister has sought to launch as a bridge between the United States and Europe when he adapts to the Trump administration desire to be less involved in European defensehave a Cordial meeting with Trump One day before Zelensky.
During this meeting, he delivered by hand a letter from the king Invite Trump – who loves the royal family – to an unprecedented second state visit, that SNP deputies called on the PM to withdraw following the spit of the oval office.
Sir Keir has also tried to be a conduit for Ukraine because he is looking for American security guarantees in any peace agreement – Contact Trump and Zelensky by phone Friday evening the day after their row.
The visit to Downing Street on Saturday was an opportunity for the PM to demonstrate its continuous support in Zelensky after the public falling with Trump.
Noting on the cheers he heard outside, Sir Keir told the Ukrainian chief: “It is the people of the United Kingdom who comes to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine.”
He added: “We hold on to you and Ukraine as long as it takes.”
Zelensky replied: “I saw a lot of people and I want to thank you, the people of the United Kingdom, (for) such a great support from the start of this war.”
He said he was happy to meet the king on Sunday and was grateful for the European summit.
It is understood that the meeting between Zelensky and the king was requested by the Ukrainian president, the British government accepting this.
After the Downing Street meeting, Zelensky praised the “formidable” support of the United Kingdom, notably noting the loan of 2.26 billion pounds sterling paid by the Russian active ingredients frozen since the start of the war.
He said the funds will be used to produce weapons in Ukraine, declaring: “It is real justice – the one who started war must be the one to pay.”
The loan was Announced for the first time in October.
After the acrimonious visit of the White House, Zelensky tried to spread the ties to us.
In a statement, he said about Trump: “Despite difficult dialogue, we remain strategic partners. But we must be honest and direct with each other to really understand our common goals.”
When his plane landed in Stansted, the Ukrainian leader wrote in a series of publications on social networks: “It is crucial for us to have the support of President Trump. He wants to end the war, but nobody wants us anymore.
“We are those who live this war in Ukraine. It is a fight for our freedom, for our very survival.”
The Sunday summit in London is the last series of high -level European meetings in response to the new approach of Washington to end the war in Ukraine, which began with the large -scale invasion of Russia a little more than three years ago.
The Trump administration has so far excluded Europe from preliminary talks with Russia, while the president was accused of having perceived Russian propaganda.
The summit of the agenda on Sunday will increase the defense capacities of Europe while the United States is retreating, as well as the search for security guarantees for Ukraine of the White House in the context of any peace agreement.
Before the last summit in Paris, Sir Keir proposed to deploy British troops in Ukraine as part of a European peacekeeping force – but said it would require “” American “security net.
Trump has always resisted to fully initiate direct military support on a Ukrainian peace agreement, but offered closer economic ties including a mineral agreementWhich, according to him, could act as a deterrent.
Since Friday line, media reports in the United States suggest that Trump is planning to completely cut help from Ukraine.
At the same time, European leaders have recognized the need to increase defense spending – but Experts warned that the British army was currently Not ready to assume an extended defense role.
Sir Keir and Zelensky will be joined by the leaders of France, Germany and Poland on Sunday, the heads of the European Commission, and the NATO secretary.
A defense package from the special European Commission will be announced on March 6, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The oval office has encouraged European allies to set up an animated defense The Ukrainian President besieged.
While diplomatic efforts to end the war continues, the fight against raging.
Seven people were injured in a night drone attack against the northeast city of Kharkiv.
The Ukraine State Emergency Service said 64 people – most of them – were evacuated from a three -storey medical establishment that caught fire after being touched by a drone.
In Russia, the country’s Ministry of Defense reported that 48 Ukrainian drones had been “intercepted and destroyed” overnight.