Ukraine latest: Zelensky embraced by Starmer as he arrives at No 10

Sir Keir Starmer: “You have full backing across the United Kingdom and we stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. And I hope you heard some of that cheering in the street. That is the people of the UK coming out to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine, and our absolute determination to stand with you – unwavering determination. And to achieve what we both want to achieve, which is a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine.”

Volodymyr Zelensky: “I want to thank you, the people of the United Kingdom for such big support from the very beginning of this war. Thank you and your team. And I am very happy that His Majesty the king accepted my meeting tomorrow, and I’m thankful that you’ve organised such a great summit tomorrow. We count on your support and we are really happy that we have such great partners and such friends.”

Sir Keir Starmer told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he has “full backing across the United Kingdom and we stand with Ukraine for as long as it may take” as the men met inside Downing Street.

Mr Zelensky told Sir Keir “we count on your support” and said he was thankful to the UK.

A group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators could be seen outside the gates of the street, and were heard to cheer as Mr Zelensky’s convoy drove by.

Mr Zelensky wore a black long-sleeved shirt featuring the coat of arms of Ukraine, a golden trident, and black cargo trousers.

He faced criticism in the White House for not wearing a suit when he met US President Donald Trump.

Hungary’s prime minister has urged the European Union to start direct discussions with Russia on a ceasefire in Ukraine and drop plans for a joint declaration at an extraordinary EU summit next week, saying differences in the bloc “cannot be bridged”.

Under President Donald Trump, the United States has started talks with Russia on ending its war in Ukraine, but without Kyiv or the EU at the table. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy clashed in a White House meeting on Friday.

In a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa dated Saturday, first reported by German daily Welt and seen by Reuters, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said of the EU that there were “strategic differences in our approach to Ukraine that cannot be bridged”.

The European Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“I am convinced that the European Union – following the example of the United States – should enter into direct discussions with Russia on a ceasefire and sustainable peace in Ukraine,” Orban, a Trump ally, said in the letter.

He said this approach could not be reconciled with the draft conclusions for next Thursday’s EU summit, set to focus on additional support for Ukraine, European security guarantees and how to pay for European defence needs.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at Downing Street for his meeting with Sir Keir Starmer.

MPs across the House of Commons have called for the UK and its European allies to seize the nearly 300 billion US dollars of frozen Russian assets across the continent, after the bruising encounter in the White House.

The leaders of several all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs), aimed at raising awareness about corruption, sanctions and Ukraine, have urged ministers to spend the frozen Russian money on rebuilding Ukraine.

Veteran Tory former minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith, chairman of the APPG on Magnitsky Sanctions and Reparation, said: “It is time to take action and seize this money. Ukraine needs financial support to enable it to re-equip its forces and to repair the appalling damage caused by Russia.

“Having recently returned from Ukraine I have seen hospitals deliberately attacked by Russia as well as civilian homes. It is long overdue that we take action and put this money to good use in support of Ukraine.”

Labour MP Joe Powell, chairman of the APPG on Anti-Corruption, said Europe was now at a “crisis point” as he called for the money to be seized, adding: “This would not only free up much needed resources for Ukraine right now, but would also send a clear message to Russia that aggression doesn’t pay, and these funds are not being returned. It’s time to use this leverage effectively.”

Alex Sobel, Labour chairman of the APPG on Ukraine, said: “It is imperative we move as quickly as possible to legislate to mobilise frozen Russian assets for Ukraine. It is right that the aggressor pays for the unbelievable damage they have caused.”

Ukrainians faced a daunting new reality on Saturday following the White House clash between President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump which plunged ties between Kyiv and its top military backer to a new low.

Ukrainians, many of them hardened by three years of war, rallied behind Zelensky in defiance but worried about the future of US backing for Kyiv’s war effort.

“The Americans don’t know the real situation, what’s going on here,” Ella Kazantseva, 54, told Reuters.

“They don’t understand. Everything is beautiful for them.”

Kazantseva is from eastern Ukraine, where fighting has been fierce. She was speaking shortly after the air force said it had destroyed more than 100 Russian-launched drones across Ukraine in the latest Russian attack.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where a hospital was damaged overnight and seven people wounded, a local resident who identified himself as Ivan compared Trump’s behaviour to the main character in the 1972 gangster film “The Godfather”.

“Kiss the ring. If you don’t, get out,” he said.