Sir Keir Starmer will host Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz at Number 10 on Sunday to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine, Downing Street has confirmed. The Ukrainian leader will visit the UK alongside the French President and German Chancellor in a show of solidarity from Kyiv's staunchest allies.
The meeting comes after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted St Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, on Saturday, highlighting Kyiv's growing capability to strike deep inside Russian territory. No casualties were immediately reported from the attack.
In Ukraine, one person was killed and three wounded overnight into Saturday in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as Russian forces struck three districts nearly 30 times with drones and artillery, according to regional head Oleksandr Hanzha.
Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected a proposal by Mr Zelensky for face-to-face talks on the four-year-old war, claiming he saw 'no point' in a meeting. The so-called E3 group of nations—the UK, France, and Germany—are some of Kyiv's strongest allies, with the UK and France leading the 'coalition of the willing' initiative to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace process.
The talks at Number 10 are expected to focus on further military and financial aid, as well as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. The leaders will also discuss long-term security arrangements for Ukraine, including potential membership in NATO and other international organizations.
Downing Street said the meeting underscores the UK's unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The visit follows a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between the E3 nations and Ukraine in recent months.
