Britain’s Starmer tells Zelensky ‘focus must remain on Ukraine’ amid Iran war

Summary

• Keir Starmer assured Zelensky that focus remains on Ukraine despite the US-Israeli war with Iran overshadowing Ukraine's fight against Russia.
• UK and Ukraine signed a defence partnership leveraging Ukraine's anti-drone expertise and UK's industrial base, including funding for an AI Centre.
• Zelensky told UK MPs that 201 Ukrainian anti-drone experts were deployed or deploying to the Middle East to combat Iranian drones.

LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Volodymyr Zelensky in London on March 17 that “the focus must remain on Ukraine” despite the US-Israeli war with Iran, as the Ukrainian President made his latest stop on a tour of European capitals.

Mr Starmer welcomed Mr Zelensky to his official Downing Street residence after the latter visited Paris last week, and ahead of a trip to Madrid on March 18.

The visits come as the Middle East conflict overshadows Ukraine’s four-year fight against Russia’s invasion.

Washington has also partly rolled back sanctions against Moscow to cool oil prices sent soaring by the Middle East war conflict.

“I think it’s really important that we are clear that the focus must remain on Ukraine,” said Mr Starmer.

“There’s obviously a conflict in Iran going on, in the Middle East, but we can’t lose focus on what’s going on in Ukraine and the need for our support,” he added.

Mr Zelensky and Mr Starmer signed a defence partnership aimed at leveraging Ukraine’s anti-drone expertise during the visit.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran in late February, Tehran has mainly used ballistic missiles to attack Israel, but it has relied on drones to strike targets in Gulf states.

The Britain-Ukraine agreement will “boost global defensive capability against the proliferation of low-cost, high-tech military hardware, including drones”, Mr Starmer’s Downing Street office said in a statement ahead of the signing.

The deal seeks to use Ukraine’s “expertise” fending off drones from war with Russia, as well as Britain’s industrial base, “to manufacture and supply drones and innovative capabilities”.

It would also provide £500,000 (S$850,000) to fund an AI Centre of Excellence to be integrated into the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.

‘Unwavering support’

Addressing the British Parliament, Mr Zelensky told MPs that 201 Ukrainian anti-drone military experts were in the Middle East to help defend the region against Iranian-designed Shahed drones, which have been used by Russia in its war against Kyiv.

He said Ukrainian teams were already in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia and were heading to Kuwait. Another 34 experts were “ready to deploy”, he added.

“We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbours to succeed,” Mr Zelensky said in a 30-minute speech boasting of Kyiv’s anti-drone expertise honed during its four-year-long war with Russia.

Mr Zelensky’s visit in London comes as his European allies have vowed to keep up support for Kyiv in the conflict with Russia.

“Our resolve is unbreakable,” said Mr Starmer, reiterating the UK’s long-standing backing of Ukraine.

Earlier, Mr Zelensky and King Charles shook hands during a private audience at Buckingham Palace.

“I thank His Majesty and the entire Royal Family for their unwavering support and solidarity with Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X.

The Ukrainian leader was later due to meet NATO chief Mark Rutte in London, his spokesman said. AFP