Starmer tells Zelenskyy 'focus must remain on Ukraine' amid Iran war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have signed a new defence partnership focused on tackling low-cost attack drones.

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London on Tuesday (Mar 17) that "the focus must remain on Ukraine" despite the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Starmer welcomed Zelenskyy to his official Downing Street residence for talks after the Ukraine leader met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

"I think it's really important that we are clear that the focus must remain on Ukraine," said 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.

CNA Games

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less

Washington has partly rolled back sanctions against Moscow to cool oil prices sent soaring by the Middle East war, which appears to have scuttled US-led talks on ending Russia's four-year invasion.

Tuesday's meeting came after Downing Street had earlier announced that Britain and Ukraine are set to sign a defence partnership aimed at addressing the threat of low-cost drones.

Zelenskyy's visit in London - ahead of a trip to Spain on Wednesday - comes as his European allies have vowed to keep up support for Kyiv in the conflict with Russia.

"Our resolve is unbreakable," said Starmer, reiterating the UK's long-standing backing of Ukraine.

Earlier, Zelenskyy 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," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

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

He was also expected to address members of the UK parliament.

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Subscribe here

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Download here

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Join here