Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reached London for a pivotal Ukraine summit, where he was greeted affectionately by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The leaders shared a hasty exchange prior to the sit-down.
An anti-Russian rally just beyond the security cordon burst into frenzied applause as Zelenskyy approached the conference venue, emphasizing widespread public sympathy for Ukraine as geopolitical tensions remain high.
With the arrival of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez being the latest, all the leaders are now at Lancaster House, where talks are officially being initiated.
Interestingly, Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK and ex-commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was also noticed entering by the main door, unlike other national leaders but like ambassadors. Zaluzhnyi, long rumored to be a possible future candidate for president in Ukraine, came as his presence drew attention to questions about diplomatic procedure. His visible presence might be seen as a calculated gesture, perhaps in response to global commentary most notably from the United States and Russia over Ukraine’s next election.
Throughout the summit, discussions will be geared toward further military and economic assistance for Ukraine and, more broadly, the implications of security in Europe.