Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Downing Street.
The talks come as Zelensky seeks to secure renewed international support for his country’s war effort as the conflict with Russia heads into its third winter.
A red carpet was laid out in Downing Street for the Ukrainian president’s arrival and the two leaders shook hands and embraced on the steps of No 10.
Starmer is also due to meet Mark Rutte, the new head of the Nato military alliance, at No 10 later in the morning.
Rutte will join talks with Starmer and Zelensky, before holding a one-to-one meeting with the prime minister. Zelensky is then due to continue his diplomatic tour or Europe with visits to France and Italy.
An agenda for the Downing Street talks has not been made public but Zelensky is likely to press Starmer for permission to use British-supplied missiles on Russian territory.
He has publicly called for his forces to be allowed to target Russian military logistic targets deep inside Russia using Storm Shadow missiles but has so far been frustrated in his efforts.
The UK has contributed £12.8bn to Ukraine in military and other aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
More than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees have temporarily settled in the UK.
Since taking office, the prime minister has continued the policy of the previous Conservative government in offering strong financial and diplomatic support for Ukraine’s war effort.
It is the second time Zelensky has visited Downing Street since Starmer was elected prime minister. In July, the Ukrainian president became the first foreign leader to be hosted at No 10 since the change of government.
Starmer also met Zelensky in Ukraine in February, while he was still leader of the opposition, and held talks with him at a Nato summit in July.
That meeting of Nato countries saw the bloc promise Ukraine an “irreversible path” to membership, something the Ukrainian government considers vital for its security.
This article was originally published at www.bbc.com
