Zelensky Receives Warm Welcome in UK Following Clash with Trump
Trump threatened to cut support for Ukraine during a remarkable Oval Office meeting on Friday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warmly embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday as he arrived in London for talks, following a tense exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
During an extraordinary Oval Office meeting on Friday, Trump threatened to withdraw support for Ukraine—three years after Russia launched its invasion of the country.
In London, a cheering crowd greeted Zelensky as he arrived at Downing Street for discussions with Starmer ahead of a European leaders' summit on Sunday, where he will push for a peace plan for Ukraine.
"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 ... and our absolute determination to stand with you," Starmer told Zelensky, reaffirming the UK's "full backing" for Ukraine.
"We stand with you and Ukraine for as long as it may take," Starmer added.
Other European leaders also voiced their support for Zelensky following his meeting with Trump, underscoring growing divisions between the U.S. and its European allies over the war. Starmer had spoken to both Trump and Zelensky on Friday, while French President Emmanuel Macron also visited Trump in Washington this week.
Zelensky is also set to meet King Charles on Sunday at Sandringham, the monarch’s estate in eastern England.
"I'm very happy that His Majesty the King accepted my meeting tomorrow," Zelensky said at the start of his discussions with Starmer.
Britain has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, with King Charles previously praising the "determination and strength" of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia's aggression.
During Starmer’s recent visit to the White House, he personally delivered a written invitation from King Charles inviting Trump for a state visit. If accepted, Trump would become the first elected political leader in modern times to receive two state visits from a British monarch.
