Prime Minister Andy Burnham held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street, where the Ukrainian leader received a military ceremonial guard welcome, described as a first for a foreign leader at that location. The visit comes amid heightened tensions following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal to import Russian diesel from Moscow.
Burnham indicated his administration would provide additional military and financial support to Ukraine in the coming weeks, with plans to announce accelerated delivery of air defence missiles to Kyiv. The prime minister also stated the UK would pursue further sanctions against Russia and encourage allied nations to intensify pressure on Moscow. Chancellor John Healey was set to use International Monetary Fund meetings to advocate for restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.
When questioned about Trump’s diesel agreement during Prime Minister’s Questions, Burnham declined to directly criticize the US president, instead emphasizing his desire to “repair bridges” and facilitate renewed support for Ukraine. He noted that he had spoken with Zelensky by phone on Saturday in light of what he characterized as a difficult moment for the Ukrainian leader. The Burnham government’s measured response contrasted with criticism from other parliamentary figures, including Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who characterized the deal as a betrayal of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Zelensky reported that Russian missile and drone strikes overnight had left approximately 600,000 people without electricity, with critical energy infrastructure targeted. Zelensky stated Ukraine would cease strikes on Russian oil refineries if Russia halted similar attacks on Ukrainian facilities. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the proposal, stating Ukraine was undeserving of such a ceasefire. Trump had previously claimed a ceasefire agreement existed regarding strikes on energy infrastructure, a claim contradicted by the latest Russian attacks.
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