Prime Minister Andy Burnham aims to “repair bridges” between Ukraine and the United States ahead of his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street.
Zelensky received a military ceremonial welcome outside Number 10, marking a notable first for a foreign leader’s visit. His arrival follows comments from former President Donald Trump, who claimed to have struck a deal with Moscow for the import of Russian diesel.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Burnham refrained from criticising Trump’s actions, emphasising the need to “lay the ground to bring people back together”. He assured that Zelensky would not leave the UK “empty-handed”, as plans for additional military and financial aid are expected in the coming weeks.
Burnham is poised to pledge further sanctions against Russia and commit to speeding up the UK’s delivery of air defence missiles to Kyiv. The UK will also encourage its allies to increase pressure on Russia, with Chancellor John Healey set to advocate for a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) during International Monetary Fund meetings.
This marks Zelensky’s second visit to the UK since Burnham took office. While other world leaders have received military welcomes, Downing Street has no record of a previous ceremonial guard welcoming a leader.
