Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in London on Friday for a high-level meeting with more than 20 European leaders, as Western efforts to step up military and financial pressure on Russia face delays.
The gathering of the “Coalition of the Willing,” hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, focused on how allies can intensify support for Kyiv amid escalating Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid.
Starmer said there was more we can do on capability, signalling a renewed push for allies to supply long-range weapons that would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory.
The talks came days after Ukraine used a UK-supplied Storm Shadow missile to hit a military plant in Russia’s Bryansk region.
However, the US continues to withhold Tomahawk cruise missiles, an issue that has stirred tension between Washington and Kyiv and drawn warnings from Moscow.
Zelenskyy warned that Russia is attempting to create a humanitarian disaster this winter by crippling energy infrastructure, stating: “We are thankful that we are not alone, especially now.”
Before the meeting, Zelenskyy met King Charles at Windsor and held bilateral talks with Starmer at Downing Street. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof attended in person, while others joined virtually.
The London talks follow an EU summit where leaders again disagreed on using €140bn in frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence.
Meanwhile, Russia has intensified its strikes, knocking out power and water in cities including Kyiv and Chernihiv.
The EU has meanwhile announced its 19th sanctions package against Moscow, including a phased ban on Russian LNG imports by 2027, though reluctance in some capitals has slowed further penalties.
Zelenskyy arrived in London after meeting EU leaders in Brussels, where he again urged swift action to make Moscow pay for its war.
