Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the King for his “strong words” on the defence of Ukraine during his state visit to the United States.
The Ukrainian president expressed his gratitude for the monarch’s comments in a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer in Armenia.
“Best regards and thanks to His Majesty for strong words in the United States supporting our people,” Mr Zelensky told the Prime Minister.
The two met on Sunday at a hotel in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, where leaders from across Europe are gathering for Monday’s European Political Community (EPC) summit.
Charles, in a speech to Congress last week, spoke of the importance of Nato and support for Kyiv, amid concerns over Donald Trump’s waning interest in the conflict.
The King’s address has been widely interpreted as a gentle pushback against some of the US president’s peeves including Ukraine, from which his attention has been diverted by the Iran war.
In their meeting, Mr Zelensky also thanked Sir Keir for the UK’s sanctions against Russia and efforts to counter its shadow fleet, saying the measures set a “great example” for other allies.
“I think that Russia’s economy feels it,” Ukraine’s leader said.
Sir Keir in March announced that Britain’s commandos would be able to board and halt Moscow’s shadow fleet vessels as they ferried oil to support its war in Ukraine through UK waters.
In a readout of the meeting, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The leaders discussed Ukraine’s momentum on the battlefield, and the President updated on the latest from the frontline.
“Both agreed on the importance of stepping up defence industrial collaboration with European partners to defend Ukraine for as long as it takes.
“The leaders also reiterated the need to prepare and protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of next winter to boost the country’s resilience to Russia’s ongoing barbaric attacks.”
The Prime Minister landed in Armenia on Sunday afternoon, and is expected to hold more meetings with European counterparts in the margins of the EPC summit.
And alongside France, he will co-chair a large-group meeting on Ukraine.
He is expected to continue his push for closer ties with the European Union on defence, security and the economy, as part of his reset with Brussels.
He was accompanied to Yerevan by EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
Support for Kyiv and the fallout from the Iran war will be high on the agenda at the event.
The EPC was formed in 2022 after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
