Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy received a warm embrace from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer upon his arrival in London on Saturday, following a tense meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The Ukrainian leader’s visit to the UK comes amid growing concerns over continued Western support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
During his meeting with Starmer at 10 Downing Street, Zelenskiy was met with enthusiastic cheers from the British public. Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine, emphasizing the solidarity of the British people. “I hope you heard some of that cheering in the street. That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you,” Starmer said, adding, “We stand with you and Ukraine for as long as it may take.”
Zelenskiy described the discussions as “important and warm,” highlighting efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s position and secure reliable security guarantees. “During our talks, we discussed the challenges standing before Ukraine and all of Europe, coordination with our partners, concrete steps to strengthen Ukraine’s position, and ending the war in a just fashion,” he wrote on Telegram.
The visit comes after a highly charged Oval Office meeting in which Trump threatened to withdraw U.S. support for Ukraine. The meeting exposed growing rifts between Europe and the U.S. regarding military aid to Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke separately with both Trump and Zelenskiy, urged calm, stating, “Everybody needs to calm down, show respect and gratitude, so we can move forward concretely.”
In an interview with Fox News, Zelenskiy appeared to express regret over the fallout with Trump, saying, “I’m sorry for this,” while Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the Ukrainian leader, calling for him to “apologize for turning this into a fiasco.”
Zelenskiy is set to meet King Charles at the Sandringham estate on Sunday, underscoring Britain’s continued support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Starmer extended an invitation from the King to Trump for a state visit, potentially making him the first U.S. president to receive two state visits from a British monarch.
