London [UK], October 16: Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged that Britain's support for Ukraine "will not change" as he welcomed President Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president received an unprecedented honour guard on his arrival to the British government headquarters, made up of troops from the Irish Guards, amid what the Burnham described as "dark and difficult days" for his country.
Burnham told Zelensky: "You have seen the solidarity and the support you have got from everybody here in Britain.
"We are behind you and that will not change."
In return, Zelensky said he was "thankful" for the support, and "very proud" that the British people had proved "one of the strongest partners in our history."
The meeting comes during a period of strained relations between Ukraine and the US after President Donald Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel last week as high fuel prices in the US threatened to overshadow November's mid-term elections.
The UK responded to news of the deal by pledging to "maintain pressure on Russia."
Recent days have also seen the US president suggesting Ukraine needs a new leader and claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal more than the government in Kyiv.
Concerns have also been raised about intelligence sharing from the US, with Zelensky saying Kyiv had received no warning about Russian missile strikes on Monday and Tuesday.
Speaking in the Commons ahead of his meeting with Zelensky, the prime minister said he would seek to restore Trump's support for Ukraine.
During Prime Minister's Questions earlier, Burnham said he was being "careful" in his language after Trump's diesel deal with Russia, as he said he was "laying the ground" for a reconciliation.
He added: "I will listen to President Zelensky carefully, but he won't be going away from Britain today empty-handed."
During his meeting with Zelensky, he confirmed that the UK would accelerate the supply of crucial air defence missiles to Ukraine amid "heavy bombardment" from Russia.
The accelerated support will see faster deliveries of British lightweight multi-role missiles to Ukraine, which have proved effective against Russian jet-powered drones.
Burnham also said he had asked his ministers to examine other options for supporting Ukraine, telling Mr Zelensky they were "looking at all possible avenues."
And he insisted that the Ukrainian president was "prepared to sit down and discuss" the energy ceasefire proposed byTrump, but added: "Sadly, what we have seen from Russia is further attacks on critical national infrastructure in Ukraine."
He said: "In these moments, Britain will continue to provide you with whatever support we can."
Source: Qatar Tribune
