Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Reform UK that 'small mistakes can break big friendships' after the party removed Ukrainian flags from town halls under its control. The Ukrainian president expressed hope that the party would reverse its decision in an interview with The Guardian, conducted in London following meetings with Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz.
Reform UK's Policy on Flags
Reform UK has implemented a national policy to prioritise English symbols outside council buildings. Last year, the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag was removed from a town hall and replaced with a frayed red and white banner depicting Warwickshire's bear and ragged staff. The move followed a dispute over the Progress Pride flag, which the party also wanted taken down.
Zelensky's Response
'I hope they will put it back,' Mr Zelensky told The Guardian. He added: 'I don't want to be involved in any political things, but you know, the world is so sensitive today. Sometimes little, small mistakes can break big friendship or huge contacts.' The Ukrainian leader suggested that 'people have to not make mistakes,' before urging: 'OK, so you did it, please let's come back to the table, let's speak, let's understand each other.'
UK-Ukraine Relations
Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Zelensky emphasised the mutual need between Ukraine and Britain in Europe's standoff against Russia. 'British people helped us from the very beginning of this war, it's true. It's because of security, not only values... But it's about security in Europe. It's in the interests of the UK.'
King Charles and State Visit
Mr Zelensky also revealed plans to invite King Charles for a state visit to Ukraine as early as this year, following the monarch's show of support after US President Donald Trump's blistering Oval Office row with the Ukrainian leader a year ago. The King and Mr Zelensky met for a private audience on Monday.
Roman Abramovich's Role
In a separate interview with Sky News, Mr Zelensky disclosed that Roman Abramovich has acted as a go-between for Kyiv and Moscow regarding peace talks. The former Chelsea owner met Mr Zelensky in Kyiv with a message from Russia and offered to deliver a reply directly to Vladimir Putin. Mr Zelensky said Abramovich 'wanted to give me the message that they (Russia) are ready to, that they want to understand what we are ready to do.' He added: 'I said the question is not about us. You are fighting against us on our territory.' Mr Zelensky told Abramovich to inform Putin he was willing to meet 'any time from tomorrow' in any location except Russia or Belarus, either bilaterally or with Mr Trump and European leaders.
Timing and Context
Mr Zelensky did not specify when the meeting took place, but the Financial Times reported the pair met in late May this year. Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK in 2022 over his connections to Mr Putin, but has previously been involved in negotiations and reportedly helped arrange a prisoner swap that secured the release of five British men captured while fighting for Ukraine.
International Calls for Ceasefire
In a joint statement on Sunday night, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, and Mr Merz called on the Russian president to agree 'an immediate and complete ceasefire' and condemned Russia's 'large-scale missile and drone attacks' on Ukrainian cities. On the same day, a Russian drone strike killed three people waiting at a bus stop in south-eastern Ukraine, while a separate attack damaged a storage centre for spent nuclear fuel nine miles from the Chernobyl power plant. Officials confirmed radiation levels remain within safe limits.
