Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, in a show of unity and support just a day before a pivotal US-Russia summit from which Ukraine and its European allies have been excluded.
Starmer welcomed Zelensky with a warm embrace and handshake outside 10 Downing Street, only hours after the Ukrainian leader joined a virtual call with US President Donald Trump. The meeting comes ahead of Trump’s scheduled talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday at an air base in Alaska — the first time Putin will set foot on Western soil since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Zelensky’s absence from the Anchorage talks has stirred concern in Kyiv and across Europe, amid fears that Trump and Putin could strike a deal that forces Ukraine into making significant territorial or political concessions. The unease is heightened by a renewed Russian offensive and ongoing heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Despite these concerns, Starmer expressed cautious optimism on Wednesday, saying there was now a “viable” opportunity to secure a ceasefire after more than three years of war. He noted that Ukraine’s allies in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” had prepared workable military plans should a ceasefire be reached, while also remaining ready to tighten sanctions on Moscow if necessary.
Meanwhile, near the front line, Ukraine launched dozens of drones overnight into Thursday, targeting Russian territory, injuring three people, and sparking fires — including one at an oil refinery in Volgograd. Kyiv described the attacks as justified retaliation for Moscow’s daily missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian civilians.
Zelensky, who has consistently refused to surrender territory to Russia, joined the Berlin-hosted call with Trump alongside European leaders, NATO, and EU chiefs. After the discussion, European officials voiced confidence that Trump would pursue a ceasefire rather than push Ukraine toward concessions.
Trump has suggested the possibility of a follow-up three-way summit involving himself, Zelensky, and Putin, but also warned that he may abandon such plans if Friday’s talks with Putin do not yield satisfactory outcomes.
“I have told my colleagues — the US president and our European friends — that Putin definitely does not want peace,” Zelensky stated, underscoring his scepticism despite outwardly supporting US diplomatic efforts.
Starmer, speaking to European leaders on Wednesday, highlighted that previous attempts to halt the war had failed to produce tangible results, but suggested that current US-led initiatives could change that.
“For over three years, we have been far from a viable path to a ceasefire,” Starmer said. “Now we do have that chance, because of the work that the US president has put in.”
