Zelensky’s meeting with Starmer in London and its significance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to meet today at Downing Street, BBC reports, though the exact time of the meeting remains unspecified.
The Ukrainian delegation arrived at Stansted Airport in London just recently. President Zelensky will attend a European leaders’ summit in London this Sunday, hosted by Keir Starmer.
While en route to London, the Ukrainian president shared a message on X.com, stating:
"We are deeply grateful to the United States for all the support it has given us. America’s support has been crucial to our survival, and I want to acknowledge it. Despite the difficult dialogue, we remain strategic partners. However, we must be honest and direct with each other in order to fully understand our shared objectives. It is crucial for us to have the support of President Trump. He wants to end the war, but no one desires peace more than we do. We are striving for a just and lasting peace—freedom, justice, and human rights for all. A ceasefire will not work with Putin. He has violated ceasefires 25 times in the past decade. True peace is the only solution. We are ready to sign the mineral agreement, which will be the first step towards security guarantees. But it is not enough, and we need more than that to ensure lasting peace. A ceasefire without security guarantees would be dangerous for Ukraine."
According to the Ukrainian president, the mineral agreement is only the first step toward security guarantees and progress towards peace: “Our situation is tough, but we cannot cease fighting without the guarantee that Putin will not return tomorrow. It will be hard without the support of the United States, but we cannot lose our will, our freedom, or our people. If we cannot be accepted into NATO, we need a clear structure of security guarantees from our allies in the U.S. Europe is prepared for contingencies and to help fund our army. I want the U.S. to stand more firmly by our side. This is not just a war between two countries. All Ukrainians want to hear a strong stance from the U.S. in our favor. It’s understandable that the U.S. may seek dialogue with Putin, but America has always spoken of 'peace through strength,' and together we can take strong steps against Putin."
We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion. pic.twitter.com/Z9FlWjF101
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 1, 2025
Sunday’s summit gains additional significance following the dispute in the Oval Office, notes BBC political editor Chris Mason in an analysis. “Keir Starmer faces two allies in open and intense conflict. No details of the calls the prime minister made to Trump and Zelensky after their dispute have been revealed; officials are fully aware of how sensitive this situation is. After a good meeting with President Trump on Thursday, Starmer is trying to play the role of bridge between Washington and Kyiv, but also between Washington and Europe. However, the Western alliance is fragmenting before our eyes,” writes Mason.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has invited around 15 European leaders to a summit in London on Sunday to “advance” actions on security and continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, Downing Street confirmed, according to AFP.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
