Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Britain on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham in London. The meeting takes place as Britain looks to reaffirm its support for Ukraine, including with the promise of a new package of surface-to-air missiles.
Kyiv and its European supporters are racing to shore up Ukrainian defences amid Russia's escalating bombardment and doubts about the Trump administration's commitment to helping Ukraine to fend off Moscow's invasion, which began in February 2022.
Burnham's office said the UK government will provide “urgent support” for Kyiv in the coming weeks and will accelerate delivery of air defence missiles that Ukraine desperately needs before the bitter winter sets in.
The meeting also comes at a difficult time for Zelenskyy. US President Donald Trump said at the weekend he should be replaced as Ukraine's leader, days after cutting a deal with Moscow to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Britain has said it does not support the US-Russia diesel deal, and called for allies to keep up the economic pressure on Moscow. Burnham said backing for Ukraine was vital to keeping people in Britain safe and pledged further military support.
Analysts noted that Trump's move girded Europe into standing firm behind Kyiv.
“Ahead of a tough winter for Ukraine, Donald Trump's swing back toward Russia bodes ill,” Rym Momtaz of Carnegie Europe wrote in an assessment Tuesday. “But instead of panicking, Kyiv's European allies are focusing on action.”
Britain, like the European Union (EU), is also looking to impose more sanctions on Russia.
London has also called on Moscow to observe a partial ceasefire announced by Trump and halt strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities. Zelenskyy says Ukraine is observing the energy ceasefire.
Burnham's first foreign trip after becoming leader in July was to Kyiv, where he offered to share technology for making long-range missiles. In response, Russia accused Britain of taking part in the war on Kyiv's side.
(With inputs from Reuters & AP via PTI)