Zelensky welcomed to No 10 for meeting with Starmer ahead of Nato summit
The Ukrainian president arrived in Downing Street where he was expected to discuss Britain's ongoing support for his war-torn nation on Monday afternoon, after being welcomed to Windsor Castle for lunch with Charles.
Mr Zelensky, who is usually seen wearing military fatigues, wore a black blazer and trousers throughout his Monday visits.
He and Sir Keir embraced on the doorstep of No 10, where a red carpet had been rolled out for the Ukrainian leader.
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lord McFall at Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Charles and Mr Zelensky were earlier pictured chatting as they made their way through Windsor Castle, and smiling as they shook hands in the Grand Corridor.
During his visit to London, the Ukrainian leader was also welcomed to the Palace of Westminster and met Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his Lords counterpart, Lord McFall of Alcluith.
His arrival in the UK follows reports that Russia fired 352 drones and 16 missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing at least 10 civilians including seven in Kyiv.
Mr Zelensky said preliminary reports indicated Russia had used North Korean missiles to attack Kyiv and described those two countries, and Iran, as a 'coalition of murderers'.
His visit to London takes place the day before Nato leaders are set to meet in The Hague for a two-day summit, with increased defence spending top of the agenda.
The King with Volodymyr Zelensky at Windsor Castle (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Mr Zelensky has been invited to the summit but will not take part in its main discussions, and it is still unclear whether he will attend at all.
Ahead of the visit, a Downing Street spokesman said Sir Keir would 'reiterate our steadfast support for Ukraine' during his meeting with Mr Zelensky.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Flight diverted back to UK after Iran launches attacks against US bases
Passengers on a flight from Manchester Airport to Doha are heading back to the UK with the plane diverted following Iran's attack on a US base in Qatar. Flight QTR36R had got as far as the Turkish coast when it was diverted following the latest Middle Eastern clashes. Currently the Qatar Airways flight is heading back over the Balkans in the Eastern Europe. In a statement, a Qatar Airways said: "Temporary Suspension of Qatar Airways Flights. As a result of the closure of air traffic movement in the State of Qatar, we can confirm the temporary suspension of Qatar Airways flights. "We are working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support any passengers that have been impacted, and will resume operations when the airspace re-opens. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority." Iran announced on state television that it had attacked forces stationed at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, in retaliation to America's strikes on its nuclear programme. Armed forces minister Luke Pollard said the UK was monitoring the 'fast-changing situation' closely and that 'the UK Government utterly condemns any escalation'. He told the House of Commons: 'Force protection now is at its highest state across all deployed units in the Middle East. The additional RAF Typhoon jets announced by the Prime Minister have now arrived in the region to reinforce our posture, deter threats and reassure our partners, and I want to be clear, we will not rule out sending further capabilities if they are required." The Foreign Office had advised British nationals in Qatar to 'shelter in place' after a US security alert. Qatar, which had earlier shut its air space temporarily, said it successfully intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. A base in Iraq housing US troops was also targeted, but Iran did not claim responsibility for that attack. Foreign Secretary David Lammy had urged Iran to 'take the off ramp' and return to the negotiating table with the US. His plea came after an air raid by American B-2 stealth bombers and a salvo of submarine-launched missiles hit Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the UK has started evacuating Britons from Israel, with the first group of 63 flown back via Cyprus and due to return to the UK on Monday.
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Zelensky and Starmer agree closer military production ties ahead of Nato summit
The Ukrainian president met the Prime Minister at Downing Street on Monday afternoon, after being welcomed to Windsor Castle for lunch with the King. In No 10's garden, Mr Zelensky and Sir Keir also met with Ukrainian troops being trained for the front line by Britain and other allies in Operation Interflex. Mr Zelensky, who is usually seen wearing military fatigues, wore a black blazer and trousers throughout his Monday visits. He and Sir Keir embraced on the doorstep of No 10, where a red carpet had been rolled out for the Ukrainian leader. After meeting in No 10's White Room, the two leaders announced a new military partnership in front of soldiers from Britain, Ukraine and other western allies. 'We've discussed the issues across the conflict, what more we can do to support,' Sir Keir told the gathered soldiers. 'I'm really proud that this afternoon we are able to announce an industrial military co-production agreement, the first of its kind so far as Ukraine and the UK are concerned, which will be a massive step forward now in the contribution that we can continue to make, and is really a symbol of not only our joint work in this conflict, but the 100-year agreement that we've put in place.' The agreement will give the UK access to Ukrainian technology data so British defence firms can build military equipment at scale and provide Ukraine with more drones to use on the front line. Initial deals between defence firms in the two countries are expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks. Mr Zelensky said the agreement would 'strengthen both nations'. He added: 'It's very important to share our experience, your experience, on the battlefield, and your knowledge and experience during the Interflex training mission.' Mr Zelensky also singled out soldiers from Finland and Romania present in the No 10 garden for praise. Sir Keir commended the 'level of professionalism, commitment and the bravery and resilience of those who are being trained' through Interflex. He added: 'To all the trainers here, I just want to say a huge thank you on behalf of the UK and the other countries, 13 countries now involved in this training. 'It's a real show of strength, of unity amongst allies, but a real message to our adversaries as well.' Charles had earlier welcomed the Ukrainian leader to an audience, followed by lunch, at Windsor Castle. They were pictured chatting as they made their way through the Berkshire royal residence, and smiling as they shook hands in the Grand Corridor. During his visit to London, the Ukrainian leader was also welcomed to the Palace of Westminster and met Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his Lords counterpart, Lord McFall of Alcluith. His arrival in the UK follows reports that Russia fired 352 drones and 16 missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing at least 10 civilians including seven in Kyiv. Mr Zelensky said preliminary reports indicated Russia had used North Korean missiles to attack Kyiv and described those two countries, and Iran, as a 'coalition of murderers'. His visit to London takes place the day before Nato leaders are set to meet in The Hague for a two-day summit, with increased defence spending top of the agenda. Mr Zelensky has been invited to the summit but will not take part in its main discussions, and it is still unclear whether he will attend at all.
STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
Zelensky and Starmer agree closer military production ties ahead of Nato summit
Volodymyr Zelensky and Sir Keir Starmer have agreed closer ties on military production between the UK and Ukraine, as the pair met ahead of a crunch Nato summit this week. The Ukrainian president met the Prime Minister at Downing Street on Monday afternoon, after being welcomed to Windsor Castle for lunch with the King. In No 10's garden, Zelensky and Starmer also met with Ukrainian troops being trained for the front line by Britain and other allies in Operation Interflex. Zelensky, who is usually seen wearing military fatigues, wore a black blazer and trousers throughout his Monday visits. He and Starmer embraced on the doorstep of No 10, where a red carpet had been rolled out for the Ukrainian leader. After meeting in No 10's White Room, the two leaders announced a new military partnership in front of soldiers from Britain, Ukraine and other western allies. 'We've discussed the issues across the conflict, what more we can do to support,' Sir Keir told the gathered soldiers. 'I'm really proud that this afternoon we are able to announce an industrial military co-production agreement, the first of its kind so far as Ukraine and the UK are concerned, which will be a massive step forward now in the contribution that we can continue to make, and is really a symbol of not only our joint work in this conflict, but the 100-year agreement that we've put in place.' The agreement will give the UK access to Ukrainian technology data so British defence firms can build military equipment at scale and provide Ukraine with more drones to use on the front line. Initial deals between defence firms in the two countries are expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks. Zelensky said the agreement would 'strengthen both nations'. He added: 'It's very important to share our experience, your experience, on the battlefield, and your knowledge and experience during the Interflex training mission.' Zelensky also singled out soldiers from Finland and Romania present in the No 10 garden for praise. Starmer commended the 'level of professionalism, commitment and the bravery and resilience of those who are being trained' through Interflex. He added: 'To all the trainers here, I just want to say a huge thank you on behalf of the UK and the other countries, 13 countries now involved in this training. 'It's a real show of strength, of unity amongst allies, but a real message to our adversaries as well.' Charles had earlier welcomed the Ukrainian leader to an audience, followed by lunch, at Windsor Castle. They were pictured chatting as they made their way through the Berkshire royal residence, and smiling as they shook hands in the Grand Corridor. During his visit to London, the Ukrainian leader was also welcomed to the Palace of Westminster and met Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his Lords counterpart, Lord McFall of Alcluith. His arrival in the UK follows reports that Russia fired 352 drones and 16 missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing at least 10 civilians including seven in Kyiv. Zelensky said preliminary reports indicated Russia had used North Korean missiles to attack Kyiv and described those two countries, and Iran, as a 'coalition of murderers'. His visit to London takes place the day before Nato leaders are set to meet in The Hague for a two-day summit, with increased defence spending top of the agenda. Zelensky has been invited to the summit but will not take part in its main discussions, and it is still unclear whether he will attend at all. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
