Ukraine’s air defense systems shot down a drone near the presidential palace Thursday during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first visit to the wartorn country.
Starmer said the drone threat was “a reminder of what Ukraine is facing every day” and that the war was brought about by “Russian aggression,” according to Sky News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the drone, “We will say hello to them too,” referencing the Russians.
“Together with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, we commemorated the fallen defenders of Ukraine,” Zelensky said on social media. “We honor and remember the heroic deeds of our warriors. May the memory of all those who gave their lives defending Ukraine be eternal.”
During his trip to Ukraine, Starmer announced a “historic” 100-year partnership between the two nations. It contrasts with President-elect Donald Trump’s stance, which has been that his administration will work to end the Russia-Ukraine war, even if it means pushing Kyiv to make concessions.
Starmer also reiterated his support for Ukraine’s eventual accession to NATO and referenced that the alliance said Kyiv was on an “irreversible path” to membership into the alliance during the 2024 summit in Washington.
Trump’s pick to be the next secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), told his Senate colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that he believes the “official position of the United States” should be that “this war should be brought to an end.”
“What that master plan looks like is going to be hard work,” he said during the confirmation hearing. “This is not going to be an easy endeavor, but it’s going to require both diplomacy, and my hope is that it can begin with some ceasefire, and in order to obtain objectives with war like the one in Ukraine, it is important for everyone to be realistic. There will have to be concessions made by the Russian Federation but also by the Ukrainians.”
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The Biden administration has provided tens of billions of dollars of military support to Ukraine over the nearly three years since Russia began its full-scale invasion. Both sides are believed to have hundreds of thousands of casualties.
Despite Russia’s goals of conquering Ukraine, repeated initial setbacks forced the former to alter its goals, choosing to prioritize the areas of eastern and southern Ukraine.