LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conducted a series of meetings in London with Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz to coordinate next steps in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He also met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
The discussions included aligning sanctions against Russia and securing support for the use of funds from the sale of Chelsea FC. Zelenskyy suggested allocating the proceeds from the Chelsea FC sale, which belonged to Roman Abramovich, toward the purchase of U.S. antiballistic missiles. He stated, "We need more security, and we are trying, through the Purl programme, to buy antiballistic missiles from the United States."
Zelenskyy also discussed the release of Chelsea FC sale funds with Keir Starmer. He requested that the U.K. align its sanctions policy with other European nations. Zelenskyy also requested international funding to transition Ukrainian soldiers to professional contracts. He stated, "We need more sanctions against Moscow as quickly as possible."
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine's military position is the strongest it has been for more than two years and that Russia is not winning. He further stated that having Ukraine in Nato is in the interests of both Nato and Ukraine. Zelenskyy intends to invite King Charles for a state visit to Ukraine. Regarding the removal of Ukrainian flags from council buildings, he said he hopes they will be restored. He acknowledged that British people helped Ukraine from the very beginning of the war and that it is in the interests of the U.K.
No independent assessment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claims was available.