AI Brief
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy received strong support in London, meeting Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles amid strained US-Ukraine relations.
- Britain announced a £45 million (US$59.60 million) military aid package for Ukraine, including fast-tracked surface-to-air missiles to counter Russian drone attacks.
- Prime Minister Burnham reaffirmed unwavering UK support for Ukraine and called for increased sanctions and allied pressure against Russia.
LONDON: Volodymyr Zelenskiy received a strong show of support in London on Wednesday, meeting Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles after the Ukrainian leader's relationship with the US took a sharp turn for the worse.
Zelenskiy was given the red-carpet treatment, arriving in Britain after another night of heavy Russian attacks and hours after Ukraine accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of crippling its drones by limiting Starlink services.
The diplomatic display, which included a 25-minute audience with Charles and a ceremonial guard in Downing Street, echoed Zelenskiy's February 2025 visit to London shortly after he had clashed with US President Donald Trump and his deputy JD Vance.
At the start of Wednesday's Downing Street meeting, Zelenskiy said he wanted to discuss the difficulties over Starlink and intelligence sharing, and that Ukraine still relied on its partnership with the United States.
Trump said at the weekend Zelenskiy should be replaced as Ukraine's leader, days after he cut 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.
In an interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan, Zelenskiy said it was painful when Trump sided with Russia over Ukraine.
Burnham said the last few days had been "very dark and difficult" for Ukraine, but that Britain remained a staunch ally. "We're behind you, and that will not change," he said.
Earlier he announced the planned delivery of £45 million (US$59.60 million) of surface-to-air missiles used to target jet-powered Russian drones, with £10 million of that package fast-tracked to meet an urgent need in Ukraine.
Burnham has asked officials to draw up further sanctions, military aid, and fiscal support, and his foreign and finance ministers have been lobbying allies to follow Britain in banning maritime services that support Russian liquefied natural gas exports.
