Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited London on October 14, 2026, where he met with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles III to secure fresh British backing amid escalating tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister warmly greeted Zelensky, who was given a red carpet welcome and unprecedented honour guard made up of troops from the Irish Guards – before they headed inside No10 for talks.
Zelensky was also met by cheers from Foreign Office staff, who had turned out for his arrival in Westminster.
He made his way to Downing Street after a meeting with King Charles in Buckingham Palace, during which Zelensky personally and publicly thanked His Majesty for his ‘unwavering support’ for his country.
Zelenskyy had a 25-minute private audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in the Chinese Dining Room.
Burnham instructed officials to prepare accelerated military aid, new sanctions against Moscow, and diplomatic efforts to ban maritime services supporting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Speaking in the House of Commons earlier on Wednesday, Burnham branded Trump’s diesel deal with Vladimir Putin a ‘dark moment’ for Ukraine. He also vowed to ‘repair bridges’ between the US and the war-torn country.
In recent days, Trump has also suggested Ukraine needs a new leader to replace Zelensky and claimed Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal more than Kyiv.
