Zelenskyy meets King, British PM as further Russian strikes kill 10 in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described Russia, Iran and North Korea as a "coalition of murderers" during a visit to the UK, in which he met with the British Prime Minister to discuss defence co-operation.
Mr Zelenskyy was in London after a series of deadly strikes against Kyiv and as Keir Starmer prepared to meet with Donald Trump and other world leaders at a crucial NATO summit in the Netherlands on Tuesday.
Mr Zelenskyy also met with King Charles III and senior members of the British government during the visit on Monday.
The UK has been one of Ukraine's closest supporters since Russia's invasion began in February 2022, and more recently has led a push to create a "coalition of the willing" of countries willing to defend Ukraine's post-war sovereignty.
Before landing in the UK, the Ukrainian president said he hoped to negotiate with the British government "new and powerful steps to increase pressure on Russia for this war and to put an end to the strikes".
Waves of Russian drones and missiles in and around Kyiv overnight killed 10 people including one child, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.
Mr Zelenskyy posted on social media prior during his UK visit that the latest onslaught was a warning to other countries neighbouring states like Russia, Iran and North Korea.
"Everyone in countries neighbouring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be thinking carefully about whether they could protect lives if this coalition of murderers persists and continues spreading their terror," he posted on X.
Mr Zelenskyy began his visit by shaking hands with the King at Windsor Castle, the third such time they've met since the start of this year.
The palace said Mr Zelenskyy "visited The King this afternoon and remained to luncheon".
He later met with senior members of the British parliament, including the lower house speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
The Ukrainian leader also visited Downing Street for a bilateral meeting with Mr Starmer.
After the meeting, Mr Starmer announced an industrial military co-production agreement with Ukraine.
"I'm really proud that ... we're 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," he said.
Mr Zelenskyy's visit to the UK came as Ukrainian cities continued to come under direct Russian attack.
Russia has been launching near-daily drone and missile attacks against Ukraine in recent months, but their intensity has increased in recent weeks as talks to end the war yielded few results.
US President Donald Trump has been attempting to broker a peace between the two sides, but negotiations has so far yielded little progress, though prisoner exchanges have been agreed.
Strikes in Kyiv overnight on Monday lit up the night sky with fires in residential areas and damaged the entrance to a metro station bomb shelter.
At least 34 people including four children were wounded in the attacks on Kyiv, the emergencies service said.
From midnight until almost dawn, the city shook with explosions and rattling machine gun fire from anti-aircraft units aiming at the drones.
Ukraine's air force said it had downed 339 of 352 drones and 15 of 16 missiles launched by Russia in the attack on four Ukrainian regions.
Rescue workers pulled bodies from the rubble of an apartment block in Kyiv's busy Shevchenkivskyi district, less than a kilometre from the US embassy. At least nine people died in the district, the interior ministry said.
Valeriy Mankuta, 33, described clambering from his window to the third floor below to escape after his building was hit by what authorities said was a missile. Reuters photos showed several explosions above apartment buildings in the area.
"There were bricks on me, there was something in my mouth. It was total hell. I woke up in the rubble," Mr Mankuta said.
ABC/Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Albanese government and opposition welcome Middle East ceasefire, as Israel, Iran yet to confirm agreement
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed an announcement by US President Donald Trump of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. There has not yet been public confirmation of the agreement from either Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Sky News understands the government learned of the ceasefire through Donald Trump's social media post. 'Australia welcomes President Trump's announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran,' Mr Albanese said in a statement on Tuesday. 'We have consistently called for dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation. The safety of Australians in the region is our priority. 'We continue to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and are deeply concerned about keeping Australians safe.' Mr Albanese's remarks came just hours after the President Trump claimed that both sides had agreed to a 'complete and total ceasefire'. According to a social media post form the US President, there will be a 12-hour phased wind-down of hostilities to begin at 2pm AEST. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had agreed to the US-proposed ceasefire, however the terms of such a ceasefire remain unconfirmed. Missile sirens were still sounding in Tel Aviv in the hours following President Trump's post about an agreement. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and acting shadow foreign minister Andrew Hastie also welcomed the proposed ceasefire. 'The Coalition welcomes the statement from the President… confirming there will be a ceasefire between Israel and Iran,' they said in a joint statement. 'Any step that de-escalates tensions and prevents a wider regional conflict is a moment to be recognised. 'We also condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Iranian regime's direct missile attack on a United States base in Qatar.' The Coalition reaffirmed its support for the United States and called on Mr Albanese to attend potential upcoming meetings between Indo-Pacific partners and NATO leaders. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has been sent to the NATO conference at The Hague, in the Netherlands. It comes after Mr Albanese had his scheduled meeting with President Trump at the G7 cancelled. According to a government source, Mr Marles has an 'outside chance' of meeting President Trump at the NATO conference.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
UK to set five per cent defence spending target
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to boost Britain's overall defence and security spending to five per cent of economic output by 2035 to meet a NATO target. NATO members agreed on Sunday to the five per cent of gross domestic product target, a big increase in their defence spending, in response to US President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe take more responsibility for its own security. On the eve of his departure to a NATO summit in The Hague, Starmer for the first time publicly said Britain would boost spending on defence and broader security measures to the highest level since the Cold War. The government will also on Tuesday publish a new National Security Strategy that will recommend increasing the protection of sectors such as transport, energy networks, and digital infrastructure from sabotage and cyber-attacks. "We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest," Starmer said in a statement. Britain already said this year it would increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 from 2.3 per cent last year. But the new pledge raises questions about where the money will come from and the depth of curbs in other public services required to meet the target. The two-day NATO meeting in The Hague is aimed at satisfying Trump with a big new defence spending goal, but it now risks being dominated by his decision to join Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear plants. Downing Street said Britain would commit to spending 3.5 per cent of national income on traditional defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Under the new NATO target, Downing Street said Britain expects to increase overall defence spending to at least 4.1 per cent of GDP by 2027. The government will publish the new National Security Strategy, drawing together six reviews since Labour won the general election last year, including inputs from the long-awaited audit of relations with China. But in a surprise decision, Downing Street said the China audit would not be published separately. Downing Street said the strategy would recommend that Britain reduce its dependency on other nations in key areas and this will mean being "more unapologetic and systematic in pursuit of our national interests". Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to boost Britain's overall defence and security spending to five per cent of economic output by 2035 to meet a NATO target. NATO members agreed on Sunday to the five per cent of gross domestic product target, a big increase in their defence spending, in response to US President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe take more responsibility for its own security. On the eve of his departure to a NATO summit in The Hague, Starmer for the first time publicly said Britain would boost spending on defence and broader security measures to the highest level since the Cold War. The government will also on Tuesday publish a new National Security Strategy that will recommend increasing the protection of sectors such as transport, energy networks, and digital infrastructure from sabotage and cyber-attacks. "We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest," Starmer said in a statement. Britain already said this year it would increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 from 2.3 per cent last year. But the new pledge raises questions about where the money will come from and the depth of curbs in other public services required to meet the target. The two-day NATO meeting in The Hague is aimed at satisfying Trump with a big new defence spending goal, but it now risks being dominated by his decision to join Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear plants. Downing Street said Britain would commit to spending 3.5 per cent of national income on traditional defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Under the new NATO target, Downing Street said Britain expects to increase overall defence spending to at least 4.1 per cent of GDP by 2027. The government will publish the new National Security Strategy, drawing together six reviews since Labour won the general election last year, including inputs from the long-awaited audit of relations with China. But in a surprise decision, Downing Street said the China audit would not be published separately. Downing Street said the strategy would recommend that Britain reduce its dependency on other nations in key areas and this will mean being "more unapologetic and systematic in pursuit of our national interests". Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to boost Britain's overall defence and security spending to five per cent of economic output by 2035 to meet a NATO target. NATO members agreed on Sunday to the five per cent of gross domestic product target, a big increase in their defence spending, in response to US President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe take more responsibility for its own security. On the eve of his departure to a NATO summit in The Hague, Starmer for the first time publicly said Britain would boost spending on defence and broader security measures to the highest level since the Cold War. The government will also on Tuesday publish a new National Security Strategy that will recommend increasing the protection of sectors such as transport, energy networks, and digital infrastructure from sabotage and cyber-attacks. "We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest," Starmer said in a statement. Britain already said this year it would increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 from 2.3 per cent last year. But the new pledge raises questions about where the money will come from and the depth of curbs in other public services required to meet the target. The two-day NATO meeting in The Hague is aimed at satisfying Trump with a big new defence spending goal, but it now risks being dominated by his decision to join Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear plants. Downing Street said Britain would commit to spending 3.5 per cent of national income on traditional defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Under the new NATO target, Downing Street said Britain expects to increase overall defence spending to at least 4.1 per cent of GDP by 2027. The government will publish the new National Security Strategy, drawing together six reviews since Labour won the general election last year, including inputs from the long-awaited audit of relations with China. But in a surprise decision, Downing Street said the China audit would not be published separately. Downing Street said the strategy would recommend that Britain reduce its dependency on other nations in key areas and this will mean being "more unapologetic and systematic in pursuit of our national interests". Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to boost Britain's overall defence and security spending to five per cent of economic output by 2035 to meet a NATO target. NATO members agreed on Sunday to the five per cent of gross domestic product target, a big increase in their defence spending, in response to US President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe take more responsibility for its own security. On the eve of his departure to a NATO summit in The Hague, Starmer for the first time publicly said Britain would boost spending on defence and broader security measures to the highest level since the Cold War. The government will also on Tuesday publish a new National Security Strategy that will recommend increasing the protection of sectors such as transport, energy networks, and digital infrastructure from sabotage and cyber-attacks. "We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest," Starmer said in a statement. Britain already said this year it would increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 from 2.3 per cent last year. But the new pledge raises questions about where the money will come from and the depth of curbs in other public services required to meet the target. The two-day NATO meeting in The Hague is aimed at satisfying Trump with a big new defence spending goal, but it now risks being dominated by his decision to join Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear plants. Downing Street said Britain would commit to spending 3.5 per cent of national income on traditional defence and a further 1.5 per cent on broader security. Under the new NATO target, Downing Street said Britain expects to increase overall defence spending to at least 4.1 per cent of GDP by 2027. The government will publish the new National Security Strategy, drawing together six reviews since Labour won the general election last year, including inputs from the long-awaited audit of relations with China. But in a surprise decision, Downing Street said the China audit would not be published separately. Downing Street said the strategy would recommend that Britain reduce its dependency on other nations in key areas and this will mean being "more unapologetic and systematic in pursuit of our national interests".
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Outside chance' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles could meet face-to-face with Trump this week after Albanese's G7 snub
There is an 'outside chance' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles could meet President Donald Trump face-to-face at the NATO summit in the coming days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was snubbed at the G7 last week. The summit is set to take place at the Hague, the Netherlands, on June 24 to the 26. A Canberra source told Sky News political correspondent Cameron Reddin the Defence Minister had an 'outside chance' of becoming the first member of government to meet the leader of the free world, although it was a 'very fluid situation'. Trump is due to fly to the Netherlands on Tuesday and may meet with the four Indo-Pacific nations, Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Japan, who form the IP4 meeting, to take place this week. However, Mr Albanese was not alone in his decision not to attend the NATO summit and was joined by South Korea and Japan whose leaders would also skip the trip. Japan's Fuji Television said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was pulling out because a planned meeting between NATO and the group of four Indo-Pacific nations (IP4) was not likely to take place, and because a meeting with Trump was also unlikely. Japan said Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will travel to the Netherlands to attend NATO-related functions and hold bilateral meetings. Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan said if Mr Marles did manage to score a one-on-one with Trump it would be 'very embarrassing' for the Prime Minister. 'This is a big problem now that our Prime Minister hasn't met with President Trump six months after his election,' he said. ' There has been ample time to do that.' Mr Canavan said he did not blame Mr Albanese for being snubbed at the G7 as it was 'out of his control', but a meeting in Washington in the six months since Trump's inauguration should have occurred. 'Many other leaders have done this. We're one of the Five Eyes nations, so one of the four most important allies to the United States,' he said. 'It is unacceptable that our government, our Prime Minister, has not met with the new Prime Minister six months after (Trump's) election.' Over the weekend, Sky News revealed Mr Albanese had yet to receive a phone call from Trump after their meeting was cancelled at the G7 summit in Canada. As of Saturday, Mr Albanese had not received a phone call from Trump, even though he contacted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. There has been no indication that the President has contacted other cancelled counterparts, such as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, or Mr Albanese. The Albanese government has suggested there is no cause for concern, despite the highly-visible diplomatic snub. A meeting between the two leaders is still agreed to, according to senior government sources - and the question is simply when, not if. -with Reuters
