Volodymyr Zelensky was embraced by Sir Keir Starmer outside 10 Downing Street as the pair met for talks on how to defeat Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky has been presenting his "victory plan" to Western leaders as he lobbies for greater military assistance, such as permission to use equipment including UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets within Russia.
Welcoming Mr Zelensky in No 10's Pillared Room on Thursday, Sir Keir said it was "very important we're able to show our continued commitment to support Ukraine" and it was a chance to "go through the plan, to talk in more detail".
The pair then held private talks in the Small Dining Room before conversations involving their wider teams.
Defence Secretary John Healey, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and National Security Adviser Sir Tim Barrow were among the senior figures involved in the meeting with the Ukrainians.
Ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “He will reiterate the UK’s iron-clad support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.
“Clearly, recently at the UN General Assembly, the PM reiterated that we are at a critical point for Ukraine and their defence against Russian aggression and the whole world must stand with them for as long as it takes.”
Mr Zelensky has been pleading with America to allow long-range missiles supplied by the West to be fired at targets deep inside Russia so they can hit airbases being used by Putin’s military for aircraft missions to launch “glide-bombs” onto Ukrainian towns and cities with devastating impacts.
Joe Biden’s administration is believed to be divided over whether to grant such consent, amid concerns that it could escalate the conflict.
Britain has taken a stance in pushing the West to increasingly support Ukraine’s war effort, with more powerful weapons, while at the same time presenting a united front against Putin’s invasion launched in February 2022.
The UK first gave anti-tank weapons, then Challenger II tanks and also Storm Shadow missiles.
Sir Keir had been due to fly to Germany for a meeting at the Ramstein military base, in the west of the country, of the so-called “Quad” of the UK, US, France and Germany.
But this was called off after Mr Biden postponed his planned trip across the Atlantic due to the “projected trajectory and strength of Hurricane Milton” which was on track to hit Florida.
Ahead of the No10 meeting, Mr Zelensky said the war has entered a “very important phase” after his country’s military struck an important Russian oil terminal, though Putin’s forces continue to occupy vast swathes of Ukrainian territory.
They are gradually seizing more land, most recently the town of Vuhledar in the eastern Donetsk province, but only after suffering heavy losses.
Ukrainian casualties are also high.
Mr Zelensky had been planning to present Ukraine’s “victory plan” to its allies at the Ramstein meeting in what would have been a test of Kyiv’s vision on ending the war with Russia.
The Ramstein group of Ukraine’s arms donors had been set to convene for its highest level meeting ever on the sidelines of Mr Biden’s October 10-13 state visit to Germany, which would have been the first US state visit in nearly 40 years.
The meeting aimed to underscore unwavering support for Kyiv against Russia’s invasion at a time when Ukrainian armed forces are under huge pressure.
