After Trump clash, Ukraine’s Zelensky gets warm UK welcome before European summit

London — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer greeted President Volodymyr Zelensky with a warm embrace on Saturday after the Ukrainian leader flew to London for talks after his clash at the White House with US President Donald Trump.

In an extraordinary Oval Office meeting on Friday, Trump threatened to withdraw support for Ukraine, three years after Russia invaded its smaller neighbour.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Zelensky and Trump on Saturday and called for calm in an interview after Friday’s White House clash.

In London, a crowd cheered as Zelensky arrived for talks with Starmer at his Downing Street office before a summit of European leaders that the Ukrainian president will attend on Sunday to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine.

“I hope you heard some of that cheering in the street. That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you … and our absolute determination to stand with you,” Starmer told him.

Starmer told Zelensky he had “full backing across the United Kingdom.”

“We stand with you and Ukraine for as long as it may take,” Starmer said.

Zelensky said on Saturday he had “important and warm” talks with Starmer, with a discussion on strengthening Ukraine’s position and obtaining reliable security guarantees.

“During our talks we discussed the challenges standing before Ukraine and all of Europe, co-ordination with our partners, concrete steps to strengthen Ukraine’s position and ending the war in a just fashion, with reliable security guarantees,” Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Other European leaders also issued messages of support for Zelensky and Ukraine after his meeting with Trump, highlighting differences between traditional allies the US and Europe over the war since Trump returned to office.

Senior Russian politicians have reacted with glee to what they see as Zelensky’s White House humiliation, saying the Ukrainian leader got what he deserved and that US military aid to Kyiv must now be cut.