No 10 hails 'powerful sense of unity' after Zelensky talks

Downing Street said that the Prime Minister and President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed there was a 'strong sense of unity and a steadfast resolve' to maintain stability in Ukraine. On Friday, the Prime Minister held a breakfast meeting with the Ukrainian President ahead of a critical summit in Alaska between the US President and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the conflict in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister has expressed that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is a 'viable likelihood' but said Ukraine's 'territorial integrity' must be safeguarded, and that international boundaries "must not be changed by force". On Wednesday, President Zelensky and other European leaders, who are not attending the Alaska summit, held a joint call with the US President to reiterate their position.

President Zelensky was given a red-carpet welcome at No. 10 and was seen strolling through the Downing Street rose garden with the PM. This was a carefully coordinated show of support from the UK, scheduled just 24 hours before the summit in Alaska. The Prime Minister and President Zelensky spoke at a private breakfast this week and "agreed there had been a strong sense of unity and a steadfast commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

"They then looked forward to the President's talks in Alaska on Monday, which provide a fair chance of making progress as long as Putin takes action to show that he is serious about peace," the spokesperson added.

Neither leader made any remark to waiting reporters in Downing Street, maintaining a tactical diplomatic silence. In a significant display of cross-party unity, the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, walked with President Zelensky to his car, giving him a hug and a handshake before his departure. The Prime Minister has said little to the media in recent days, preferring official scripted statements to avoid revealing anything that might suggest a disagreement with the United States. The key tactic in Downing Street this week has been to secure the US President's alignment – to ensure he has the words of Europe and Ukraine ringing in his ears when he speaks with Putin.

Following his departure, President Zelensky expressed appreciation on social media for a 'good, fruitful meeting'. "We also discussed in great detail the security guarantees that could make peace in Ukraine more durable if the US succeeds in pressuring Russia to prevent the killings and engage in genuine, substantive diplomacy," he wrote. President Zelensky said the two also discussed weapons collaboration and the 'One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement' with the UK, which he said is set to be ratified this month.

Summit Tensions

President Putin told Russian officials that he applauds the US President's "energetic and sincere" attempts to end the Ukraine war. He stated that Russia was aiming to "stop the crisis and reach compromises that are of concern to all the parties involved... to establish long-term stability in our countries, both in Europe and worldwide." Following their meeting on Friday evening, Putin and the US President confirmed they will hold a joint press conference.

Last week, the US President warned there could be "some exchanges of territories, to the benefit of both," raising concerns that Ukraine will be forced to give up certain areas to bring an end to the bloody conflict. Moscow intends to hold land it has seized, including Crimea, while Ukraine has said that ceding any territory would be unacceptable. Russia is also seeking guarantees that Ukraine will not join the Nato military alliance and that its army will be limited in size.

Following the call with the US President, the Prime Minister said that lasting peace guarantees are required and that military contingency plans are prepared. The leaders were also prepared to increase economic pressure on Russia, for example by increasing sanctions, and praised the US President's attempts to make progress on the issue.

"It's true that the US President is the only one who can solve this," Sir Alex Younger, the head of MI6 between 2014 and 2020, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. However, he warned, "Putin is playing him."

"They're all talking about the wrong stuff," he said, adding that any attempt to reset bilateral relations with Russia was 'a complete fantasy' that failed to acknowledge Putin's goal of the 'total subjugation' of Ukraine. 🤔