British Prime Minister Burnham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Prime Minister's residence in the capital, London. During the visit, which took place at a time when US President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on the Ukrainian administration, Zelenskyy was warmly welcomed by Burnham. Zelenskyy was honored with a rare reception in London, greeted by a ceremonial guard. Speaking to the press alongside Zelenskyy before the meeting, British Prime Minister Burnham praised the enthusiastic welcome for the Ukrainian leader, saying, "We are behind you, and that will not change."
Stating that Ukraine is going through difficult days and that Kyiv is being subjected to heavy bombardment, Burnham said that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had accepted the energy ceasefire announced by US President Trump over the weekend, but that Russia continues its attacks on critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Burnham stated, "The whole world has once again seen who the aggressor is in this conflict. The UK will continue to provide you with every kind of support it can in these moments. We will accelerate the delivery of British-made air defense systems. We will ensure they are deployed as soon as possible. We will always be by your side during this difficult period."
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude, stating that the UK has been by their side since the beginning of the war. Emphasizing that Russia does not respect the energy ceasefire and that civilian deaths continue in Russian attacks, Zelenskyy said, "It is clear that Russia continues to escalate tensions. We are ready for any kind of ceasefire. We have repeated and told President Trump and all countries. We have been ready to stop this war since the very beginning of the Russian invasion."
Expressing that he wanted to discuss with British Prime Minister Burnham the issues experienced with the satellite internet service provided by Starlink to the Ukrainian army and the difficulties regarding intelligence, Zelenskyy said, "When you are in a partnership, you can encounter many different surprises that you cannot foresee. We trust our partnership with the US. We just want to be honest, open, and strong partners."
The Ukrainian leader described the UK as one of Ukraine's "strongest partners in history."
According to reports in the US press, Ukrainian officials today accused American billionaire Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, of undermining the country's capacity to defend itself by restricting Starlink internet services. Ukrainian officials had previously stated that they did not receive early warnings from their allies as usual before Russia's recent intense ballistic attacks.
The developments occurred at a time when US President Donald Trump is pressuring Ukraine to stop its attacks on the Russian energy sector. Trump stated in a press briefing yesterday that intelligence sharing with Ukraine is continuing.
News Source: 12punto
