Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has conveyed his gratitude to King Charles for his "strong words" regarding the defence of Ukraine, delivered during the monarch's recent state visit to the United States. Mr Zelensky expressed his appreciation during a meeting with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in Armenia. "Best regards and thanks to His Majesty for strong words in the United States supporting our people," Mr Zelensky reportedly told the Prime Minister.
The encounter took place on Sunday at a hotel in Yerevan, Armenia's capital, ahead of Monday's European Political Community (EPC) summit, where European leaders are convening. King Charles, addressing Congress last week, underscored the importance of Nato and international support for Kyiv. This intervention comes amidst ongoing concerns surrounding Donald Trump's diminishing interest in the conflict.
King's Address Seen as Pushback
The King's address has been widely interpreted as a gentle pushback against some of the US president's peeves including Ukraine, from which his attention has been diverted by the Iran war. In their meeting, Mr Zelensky also thanked Sir Keir for the UK's sanctions against Russia and efforts to counter its shadow fleet, saying the measures set a "great example" for other allies. "I think that Russia's economy feels it," Ukraine's leader said.
UK Commandos Targeting Shadow Fleet
Sir Keir in March announced that Britain's commandos would be able to board and halt Moscow's shadow fleet vessels as they ferried oil to support its war in Ukraine through UK waters. The Prime Minister landed in Armenia on Sunday afternoon, and is expected to hold more meetings with European counterparts in the margins of the EPC summit. He is expected to continue his push for closer ties with the European Union on defence, security and the economy, as part of his reset with Brussels. He was accompanied to Yerevan by EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
Support for Kyiv and the fallout from the Iran war will be high on the agenda at the event. The EPC was formed in 2022 after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
