Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is in the UK, where he will meet Sir Keir Starmer as well as King Charles after clashing with Donald Trump at the White House
King Charles is set to welcome Volodymyr Zelensky at Sandringham on Sunday, just two days after the Ukrainian president’s chaotic talks with Donald Trump.
The monarch previously expressed his support for Zelensky and Ukraine, saying the country had experienced “indescribable aggression” following Russia’s “unprovoked attack on their land”. Zelensky landed in the UK this morning and this afternoon he will meet Keir Starmer in Downing Street before holding crunch talks with European leaders to discuss a future Ukraine peace deal on Sunday.
It has now emerged that Charles, 77, will also meet Zelensky, opening the doors of his country retreat to the Ukrainian leader. A spokesman for Zelensky confirmed: “Tomorrow (Sunday), there will be a series of bilateral meetings, including one with King Charles III and the European leaders’ meeting on supporting Ukraine.”
Zelensky and Trump clashed in the White House on Friday (
Image:
Getty Images)
Insiders told The Sun that the King was already planning to meet Zelensky before the Ukrainian leader and the US president clashed in front of the world’s cameras in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday. A source told the newspaper: “Zelensky was always due to be in the UK this weekend and so a meeting with the King was pencilled in.
Another source said that while the monarch and Zelensky have a close friendship, all meetings between world leaders are organised and signed off by the Foreign Office and the Government. Currently, it is not known what Charles will discuss with the Ukrainian president during their meeting.
The war of words in the White House was met with a volley of supportive messages from European leaders. Starmer’s response to the clash came somewhat later than that of allies including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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Downing Street signalled that Sir Keir, who has tried to position the UK as a bridge between Europe and the US, had sought to smooth over relations between Ukraine and the US by calling both leaders. A No 10 spokeswoman said the Prime Minister “retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine.”
The Prime Minister believes a deal will have to involve US military assets providing surveillance, intelligence and potentially warplanes giving air cover to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour. But hopes for unity between European nations and the US on Ukraine’s future have now been left in disarray.
