UK support for Ukraine 'iron-clad', Keir Starmer tells Zelensky

Support for Ukraine 'iron-clad', PM tells Zelensky

Sir Keir Starmer has assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the UK's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia remains "iron-clad". The two men met at a summit of the European Political Community in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The US has been by far the largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine. But fears have been expressed that the return of Donald Trump to the White House in January might slow, if not halt, the flow of American military aid to Kyiv.

The prime minister said the summit was "not just about sovereignty of Ukraine", but also "our freedom, our democracy and our values". Following his talks with the Ukrainian leader, Sir Keir sidestepped a question about whether Trump's presidential election victory was good for Europe and Ukraine. He said he had met President Zelensky for the sixth time since becoming PM, adding it was an opportunity to affirm the UK's "iron-clad support of Ukraine". Earlier, summit host Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Europe's leaders had agreed that they needed to take responsibility for their security and not just rely on the US for their defence. "To be blunt, we cannot wait for the Americans to protect us," Orban said. The Hungarian leader is a staunch Trump supporter and has close ties to Moscow. He has been reluctant to impose sanctions on Russia or to supply Ukraine with weapons.