UK signs £2.26bn loan for military aid to Ukraine

Sir Keir Starmer has told Volodymyr Zelensky he has "full backing across the United Kingdom" as the two met in Downing Street.

Zelensky and Sir Keir also signed a £2.26bn loan for Ukrainian military supplies, that will be repaid using profits from frozen Russian assets, reports BBC.

The Ukrainian president told the prime minister he was happy his country had "such friends" after arriving in the UK in the wake of a White House meeting with US President Donald Trump that descended into a row between the two leaders.

The prime minister will host a summit of European and Canadian leaders in London later as part of efforts to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end. Zelensky is then due to meet King Charles.

Those meetings will now be overshadowed by events in Washington and concerns about a hardening of relations with the US.

In recent weeks, the prime minister has sought to cast himself as a bridge between the US and Europe as it adapts to the Trump administration's desire to be less involved in European defence, having a cordial meeting with Trump a day before Zelensky's.

Sir Keir has also attempted to be a conduit for Ukraine as it seeks US security guarantees in any peace deal - contacting both Trump and Zelensky by phone on Friday evening in the aftermath of their row.

Remarking on cheers he heard outside, Sir Keir told the Ukrainian leader: "That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine."

He added: "We stand with you and Ukraine for as long as it may take."

Zelensky replied: "I saw a lot of people and I want to thank you, the people of the United Kingdom, [for] such big support from the very beginning of this war."

Following the Downing Street meeting, Zelensky praised the UK's "tremendous" support, noting in particular the £2.26bn loan paid for through Russian assets frozen since the war began.

He said the funds will be used to produce weapons in Ukraine, declaring: "This is true justice - the one who started the war must be the one to pay."

The loan was first announced in October.