Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, a day before a major summit between U.S. and Russian leaders is scheduled to take place in Alaska. Their meeting was a show of continued British support for Ukraine as global attention shifts to potential ceasefire negotiations.
Zelenskyy and Starmer embraced outside 10 Downing Street but did not make public remarks. After about an hour of talks, the two shook hands again as Zelenskyy departed.
Zelenskyy’s visit to London followed a virtual conference the previous day with U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders from several European nations. During those discussions, Trump reportedly emphasised that securing a ceasefire in Ukraine would be a top priority in his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
There are ongoing concerns among Ukrainian and European leaders that a deal between Washington and Moscow could sideline Kyiv’s interests or favour Russia. Nevertheless, officials like Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron described the virtual discussions as constructive. Trump warned that Russia would face “very severe consequences” if Putin refuses to agree to end hostilities.
The Kremlin confirmed that Friday’s summit in Alaska would begin at 11:30 a.m. local time, with one-on-one discussions followed by broader talks involving both delegations. A working breakfast is also planned. Putin, in a briefing with senior officials, acknowledged efforts by the Trump administration to resolve the conflict and said progress could also be made on nuclear arms control.
Starmer called the summit “hugely important” and a possible step toward peace but noted European unease about any potential agreement that might force Ukraine to give up territory. He emphasised that any peace plan must respect Ukraine’s borders and sovereignty.
During a separate call among nations prepared to help enforce any future peace deal, Starmer stressed that Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be preserved. He stated, “International borders cannot be, and must not be, changed by force.”
Ukraine has long called for binding security guarantees from Western partners as a condition for any long-term peace, but many allied governments remain reluctant to deploy troops. Countries like the U.K. and France have been seeking stronger U.S. security commitments in this regard.
Macron said Trump acknowledged that while NATO may not play a direct role in future guarantees, the U.S. and other involved parties should be part of the security framework. Trump did not publicly confirm any specific commitments during his remarks to reporters.
With yet another major diplomatic meeting approaching, many Ukrainians remain doubtful that the talks will yield meaningful results. Oleksandra Kozlova, a Kyiv resident, said she no longer expects real change. “There have already been enough meetings and negotiations promising us that the war will end. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened.”
Another Kyiv resident, Anton Vyshniak, said that saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers should take priority, even if it means making difficult territorial compromises. “Borders are borders, but human lives are priceless,” he said.
Separately, Zelenskyy announced that 84 individuals, including both soldiers and civilians, were freed from Russian captivity in a prisoner exchange. Many of them have been in detention since as early as 2014 and are now in need of medical care and rehabilitation. Russia confirmed it also received 84 of its soldiers in the exchange.
Meanwhile, Russian strikes in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kherson regions caused multiple civilian injuries, including a young girl and a teenage boy. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack in the city of Rostov-on-Don injured 13 people and damaged residential buildings.
