Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a notable appearance at a British cabinet meeting on Friday, an uncommon event for a foreign leader.
This visit highlights new Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s commitment to supporting Kyiv and emphasizing Britain’s role in global affairs.
The last foreign leader to address the British cabinet was U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1997, according to Starmer’s office.
The meeting took place a day after Starmer hosted European leaders at Blenheim Palace. Zelenskiy was warmly welcomed by British ministers with a standing ovation and applause.
During his address, he urged Western allies to permit long-range strikes on Russia.
“Right now we are missing the main answer to this question and that is our long-range capability,” Zelenskiy stated. “Please convince the other partners to remove the limits.”
NATO countries have varied in their stance on how Ukraine can use donated weapons.
While some allow strikes inside Russia, the United States restricts its weapons’ use to targets just within Russia’s borders that support military operations in Ukraine.
Before the broader meeting, Starmer had a 35-minute private discussion with Zelenskiy, followed by a bilateral session with officials.
Starmer assured Zelenskiy that Britain would expedite the delivery of aid to Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Defence Minister promised that deliveries pledged by the former Conservative government would be completed within 100 days.
“Ukraine is, and always will be, at the heart of this government’s agenda,” Starmer stated before the meeting. He emphasized the significance of Zelenskiy’s address to his cabinet.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Britain has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
Starmer, who recently secured a landslide election victory, reaffirmed this commitment at NATO, assuring Zelenskiy of an unchanged approach despite the government transition.
On Thursday, Starmer revealed Britain’s new strategy to counter Russia’s evasion of shipping sanctions and announced sanctions on 11 vessels transporting Russian oil.
Additionally, he introduced the Defence Export Support Treaty, which will enable Ukraine to access £3.5 billion ($4.5 billion) in export finance to strengthen both nations’ defense industries and increase production.