Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed on the “significance of refining” the UK’s coaching of Ukrainian forces to “bolster” the nation’s defence.
In a name with the Ukrainian president on Monday, the prime minister mentioned Western allies have been “united of their willpower to place Ukraine within the strongest attainable place going into 2025”.
It comes after it emerged the Ministry of Defence was contemplating the opportunity of sending British troops to Ukraine to assist practice its armed forces.
Britain has been coaching Ukrainian troops within the UK since 2022, whereas there may be additionally a small crew of British Military medics offering coaching inside Ukraine.
The UK and different Nato members haven’t despatched troops to Ukraine or enforced a no-fly zone over the nation, for worry of being pulled right into a direct battle with Russia. Nonetheless, particular person members have provided arms and gear.
Of their name, Downing Road mentioned the 2 leaders mentioned Operation Interflex, which has seen greater than 45,000 Ukrainian personnel educated on British soil since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The pair “agreed on the significance of refining its provide to additional bolster Ukraine’s capability on the battlefield”, a No 10 spokeswoman mentioned.
“What occurs in Ukraine within the coming weeks and months issues to Europe and NATO, and it was very important President Putin’s ambitions fail in Ukraine, the leaders agreed,” she added.
In a publish on X, Zelensky mentioned he had thanked Sir Keir and the British folks “for his or her unwavering assist that continues to save lots of Ukrainian lives”.
The decision got here after Sir Keir attended a summit of the Joint Expeditionary Power in Estonia, the place leaders mentioned assist for Ukraine.
The defence coalition is made up of the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.
Downing Road mentioned the group “underscored the significance of matching their phrases with concrete motion”, together with additional sanctions on the “shadow fleet” of ships utilized by Russia to export oil, the acceleration of deadly support and assist for the Ukrainian defence industrial base.