The United Kingdom and Ukraine have signed a £2.26 billion ($2.84 billion) loan agreement following a meeting in London between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The loan will boost Ukraine’s domestic weapons production and be repaid using frozen Russian assets. The UK government described the agreement as a demonstration of Britain’s “unwavering and ongoing support for the Ukrainian people.”
President Zelenskyy characterized his meeting with Starmer as “important and warm” and emphasized the justice of using Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense.
“The one who started the war must be the one to pay,” he wrote on social media.
The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s residence on Saturday, a day after Zelenskyy’s tense encounter with US President Donald Trump at the White House. During the public portion of their meeting, Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” – language that the new US administration has notably moved away from.
The leaders parted with a warm farewell but made no additional comments to the press.
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