Starmer told Zelenskyy that the cheering crowds outside Downing Street showed “you have full backing across the United Kingdom”.
Speaking inside Number 10, he told the Ukrainian president: “Let me just say that you’re very, very welcome here in Downing Street.
“And as you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom, and we stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take.
“I hope you heard some of that cheering on the street.
“That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine, and our absolute determination to stand with you – unwavering determination – and to achieve what we both want to achieve, which is a lasting peace.
“A lasting peace for Ukraine based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine – so important for Ukraine, so important for Europe and so important for the United Kingdom.
“So I’m much looking forward to our discussions here this afternoon – thank you very much for making the time to come.”
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy meets Britain’s Starmer in Londo ahead of a bilateral meeting. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA
Key events
Protesters gathered in Waitsfield, Vermont, on Saturday to protest vice president JD Vance, who is visiting the state with his family for a ski trip.
The demonstration the morning after the clash between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, who was joined by Vance in the Oval Office.
Some of the demonstrators are part of Indivisible, a left-wing political group founded in response to Donald Trump’s election as president in 2016.
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Susan Rice, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, denied the baseless conspiracy theory alleging she and other Democrats spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy before his meeting with president Donald Trump.
“For the record, I have never met Zelenskyy and never spoken to him. Ever. Or advised him or anybody around him,” she said in a post on X.
The conspiracy claims that Rice, Antony Blinken, Victoria Nuland, and Alexander Vindmanadvised Zelenskyy to “stand strong” and be “tough” against Trump.
The UK and Ukraine have agreed a £2.26bn loan to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities, finance minister Serhiy Marchenko announced on X.
Marchenko said that the funds are “ensured by frozen Russian assets.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer, along with chancellor Rachel Reeves, held a video call with Marchenko.
Marchenko said that he was “grateful” to the UK for “holding the aggressor accountable for the war”.
Czech prime minister Petr Fiala said that “Europe is facing a great historical test,” and that it has to be able to take care of itself. “Nobody else will do it.”
Fila said Saturday that Europe has to increase its military support for Ukraine and European countries have to increase their arms spending to reach “at least” 3% of GDP.
“If we do not increase our efforts quickly enough, allowing the aggressor to dictate the terms, we will not end well,” he said.
Europe is facing a great historical test. It must take care of its own security and future. No one else will do it for us.
If we do not want an aggressive Russia to continue expanding just a few hundred kilometers from our homes, we must increase military support for Ukraine.…
French president Emmanuel Macron spoke with both Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump following their confrontation at the White House, according to Agence France-Presse.
In an interview with Tribune Dimanche on Sunday, Macron called for a return to calm and respect, and emphasized the need to move forward, as the stakes were too high.
European leaders defend Zelenskyy after confrontation with Trump
“A new era of wickedness has begun,” said German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock on Saturday, Reuters reports, calling for Germany to release an additional 3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in aid for Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addresses the media during a statement in Berlin, Germany, March 1, 2025. (Michael Ukas/dpa via AP)
Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Osadchuk said the tone from Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance was in line with prior rhetoric, and that Kyiv’s other Western partners needed to do more.
“Not just a lot, but probably everything will depend on Europe – both for itself and for Ukraine,” Osadchuk said.
Former president Petro Poroshenko, Zelenskyy’s main domestic political rival, said it was not the time to criticise Zelenskyy but that he hoped the president had a “Plan B”.
A baseless conspiracy theory is circulating among pro-Trump social media users alleging that high-profile Democratic figures Antony Blinken, Susan Rice, Victoria Nuland, and Alexander Vindman held a conference call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his flight to Washington.
The conspiracy theory went viral, with Republicans including US special envoy, Richard Grenell, spreading the baseless claim.
The claim suggests that they advised him to “stand strong” and be “tough” against president Donald Trump before the confrontation between Zelenskyy, Trump, and vice president JD Vance in the Oval Office took place.
Worth noting: The initial claim, posted by a pro-Trump author on social media, provided no source or evidence and was later acknowledged by herself as speculation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet King Charles on Sunday as part of his visit to the UK.
He is due to speak to the king on the same day as Keir Starmer’s defence summit of European leaders in London.
It will take place at Sandringham, the Sun newspaper reported.
At Downing Street on Saturday, Zelenskyy said: “I’m very happy that his majesty the king accepted my meeting tomorrow.”
President Zelenskyy has left Downing Street after his meeting with Keir Starmer.
A Russian missile struck port facilities in Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa on Saturday, injuring two port workers and damaging infrastructure and a vessel, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
Kiper, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the strike damaged a Panamanian-flagged vessel belonging to a European company. He said emergency crews were at the site and medics were treating the two injured men.
Facilities at the three Black Sea ports around the city have been frequent Russian targets in the three-year-old war pitting Moscow against Kyiv.
Inside Number 10, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “With pleasure, thank you very much Keir, Mr Prime Minister, happy to be here.
“Really, I saw a lot of people, and I want to thank you, people of the United Kingdom, such big support from the very beginning of this war, thank you, your team.
“And I’m very happy that His Majesty the King accepted my meeting tomorrow, and I’m thankful that you organised such great summit for tomorrow.
“And we are very happy in Ukraine that we have such strategic partners, we’ve signed with you historic document.”
The prime minister interjected “the 100-year agreement” before the Ukrainian president continued: “Yeah, we have only with you such documents, with the United Kingdom, so we’re happy and we count on your support and really, really, really happy that we have such partners and such friends.”
Starmer added “fantastic” and the two leaders shook hands.
Starmer told Zelenskyy that the cheering crowds outside Downing Street showed “you have full backing across the United Kingdom”.
Speaking inside Number 10, he told the Ukrainian president: “Let me just say that you’re very, very welcome here in Downing Street.
“And as you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom, and we stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take.
“I hope you heard some of that cheering on the street.
“That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine, and our absolute determination to stand with you – unwavering determination – and to achieve what we both want to achieve, which is a lasting peace.
“A lasting peace for Ukraine based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine – so important for Ukraine, so important for Europe and so important for the United Kingdom.
“So I’m much looking forward to our discussions here this afternoon – thank you very much for making the time to come.”
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy meets Britain’s Starmer in Londo ahead of a bilateral meeting. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA
President Zelenskyy told Starmer “we count on your support” and said he was thankful to the UK.
Keir Starmer told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy he has “full backing across the United Kingdom and we stand with Ukraine for as long as it may take” as the pair met inside Downing Street on Saturday evening.
Keir Starmer meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London, a day after the Ukraine president’s turbulent visit to the White House to meet with Donald Trump. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
Zelenskyy arrives at Downing Street for talks with Starmer
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has arrived in Downing Street for bilateral talks with Keir Starmer.
British PM Keir Starmer meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
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