Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of ‘tough dialogue’ in the new statement, shared shortly after he touched down in the UK for a landmark European summit chaired by Keir Starmer
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s convoy speeds along the North Circular
Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a new statement after landing in the UK for crucial talks on the war with Russia.
The Ukrainian president touched down at Stansted Airport this morning a day earlier than expected following a nightmare trip to the US, which saw him berated in front of the cameras by an angry Donald Trump. On Sunday, he will attend a crucial summit of European leaders in London, including those from France, Gemany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, along with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Most of the leaders have already voiced messages of support for Zelensky after yesterday’s fracas in the White House.
Zelensky will also meet the Prime Minister at Downing Street this afternoon. In his statement ahead of Sunday’s meeting, Zelensky spoke of his gratitude to the US – a topic which proved a point of contention in the Oval Office yesterday, when Vice President JD Vance claimed he hadn’t “thanked” Trump for military support provided to his country.
He said: “We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion. America’s help has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that. Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners.
“But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals. It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do. We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival.”
Referring to the potential minerals deal with the US – which he did not sign yesterday – he said: “We want peace. That’s why I came to the United States, and visited President Trump. The deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace. Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow.”
He went on: “It will be difficult without the US support. But we can’t lose our will, our freedom, or our people. We’ve seen how Russians came to our homes and killed many people.”