UK PM Starmer meets Ukrainian President Zelensky
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
- LONDON —
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with visiting Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky.
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- During their meeting at Downing Street, Starmer said Ukraine
has "full backing across the United Kingdom." He stressed Britain's
"unwavering determination" to achieve a lasting peace.
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- Zelensky thanked Starmer for the support Britain has shown
to Ukraine since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Xinhua news agency
reported.
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- Zelensky's visit came ahead of a defence summit Britain is hosting,
with European leaders gathering in London on Sunday to discuss a peace plan for
Ukraine. Starmer has said he believes such a deal will have to involve the
United States.
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- Zelensky said on social media X shortly before his plane
touched down in London earlier Saturday that Ukraine is "ready to sign the
minerals agreement" with the United States, but "a ceasefire without
security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine."
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- Zelensky's visit to Britain followed his meeting with US
President Donald Trump on Friday evening in the White House, where a routine
presence in front of a press pool erupted into an unexpected shouting match.
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- The fiery exchange between the two sides started with an
interjection by US Vice President JD Vance, who demanded that Zelensky be
thankful for Trump's efforts to get his country out of its three-year conflict
with Russia.
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- After the public clash, Zelensky was eventually asked to
leave the White House early, leaving the planned minerals deal between the two
sides unsigned.
