Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Sunday for high-level talks focused on support for Ukraine and European security.
The meeting at Downing Street comes after a week of escalating military activity between Ukraine and Russia, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin rejecting Zelenskyy’s proposal for direct face-to-face talks aimed at ending the war.
Britain, France and Germany remain among Ukraine’s strongest allies and have continued to back Kyiv politically, financially and militarily since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The UK and France are also leading the so-called “coalition of the willing”, an initiative designed to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any future peace agreement.
The summit follows a series of major military developments. Ukraine launched a large-scale drone operation targeting Saint Petersburg, demonstrating Kyiv’s growing capability to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. No casualties were immediately reported.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued across Ukraine. Regional officials said one person was killed and three others injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region after multiple drone and artillery strikes.
Putin dismissed Zelenskyy’s latest proposal for direct talks on Friday, saying he saw “no point” in holding such a meeting despite growing international pressure for diplomatic progress.
Earlier this week, Starmer spoke with Zelenskyy and condemned Russia’s latest wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Russian strikes have continued to target civilian areas, killing and injuring residents, including children, while Ukraine has been forced to defend itself against hundreds of long-range drones launched by Russian forces.
The London talks are expected to focus on military assistance, long-term security arrangements and efforts to maintain international support for Ukraine as the conflict enters its fifth year.
Last month, Starmer also strengthened defence ties with Poland by signing a new security agreement with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Speaking at the time, Starmer said: “There’s no greater challenge for either of our countries than the challenge of Russian aggression, and we see that not just in Ukraine itself, but beyond Ukraine, impacting on our own countries.”
“So, that’s the context in which we sign what is actually a generational uplift in the relationship on security and defence between our two countries.”
The Downing Street meeting is expected to underline Europe’s continued commitment to Ukraine amid ongoing fighting and uncertainty over future peace negotiations.