Starmer Urges Allies to ‘Step Up’ Support for Ukraine

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the European Political Community summit in Budapest, Hungary, on Nov. 7, 2024. Ben Bauer/PA Wire

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called on European allies to “step up” their support for Ukraine, while reaffirming the UK’s commitment to Kyiv during his meeting with the country’s president.

Starmer made the remarks during bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the fringes of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday.

Speaking to Zelenskyy, Starmer said, “As you know, our support for Ukraine is unwavering.”

He continued: “I strongly believe that not only should it be unwavering, but we need to step up, and I was very pleased to be able to say that [today].

“It’s very important that we see this through. It’s very important that we stand with you.”

The Ukrainian leader thanked him for “sticking with us all through this tough period.”

Last month, the Treasury announced a £2.26 billion loan to Kyiv for purchasing military equipment, with it being repaid to the UK using profits on frozen Russian sovereign overseas assets.

The loan is on top of the government’s existing £3 billion a year commitment in military aid, as well as the £12.8 billion the UK has already committed in military, economic, and humanitarian support.

The prime minister and other members of his Cabinet have repeatedly said that the UK would support Ukraine with funds and materiel for “as long it takes.”

U.S. Election

The prime minister’s calls for European allies to increase support for Kyiv follows the election victory of President-elect Donald Trump, who has indicated that he would seek a quick end to the Russia–Ukraine war, and had also raised the issue of how much support the United States was giving to Kyiv compared to other allies.

The president-elect’s remarks has prompted concerns in Ukraine and NATO that a new Trump administration could reduce support for Kyiv.

Ahead of the EPC, Zelenskyy, who was among the first to congratulate Trump on his election victory on Nov. 6, said that he had spoken to the president-elect and had had a productive conversation.

The Ukrainian leader said: “We cannot yet know what his actions will be. But we do hope that America will become stronger. This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And a strong Europe is what America needs, to my mind. This is the connection between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost.”

Also on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his return to the White House, with a Kremlin spokesman saying that Moscow remained open to a constructive dialogue with Washington.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow will “wait and see” what happens in January, adding, “We will primarily make conclusions based on [Trump’s] statements on issues that are on our agenda, when we receive them, and on his first concrete steps.”

North Korean Troops

The EPC summit on Nov. 7 brought together leaders from across the continent to discuss shared issues including U.S.-EU relations, illegal immigration, economic security, and Europe’s security in relation to the Russia-Ukraine war.

A Downing Street spokesperson said that the prime minister had also expressed during the event “deep concern” about the growing number of North Korean troops on the Ukrainian border.

The spokesperson said Starmer had remarked that it was “proof of Putin’s increasing desperation.”

NATO’s new secretary general, Mark Rutte, had also said at the Budapest meeting that the alliance of Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China posed problems for Europe and the United States, adding that Europe needed to spend more on defence.

The former Dutch prime minister said, “Collectively, we have to work not only on the threat of Russia, but also the fact that these four countries work together, and that now, very soon, we will see that also the U.S. itself is under threat from these newest technological developments thanks to Russia giving its latest insights and technology to the North Koreans.”

New Sanctions on Russia

On Thursday, the UK announced 56 sanctions against Russia’s military industrial complex and Russian-backed mercenary groups, in what the government described as its largest sanctions package against Moscow since May 2023.

The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office said in a statement that the sanctions will disrupt the supply chain of equipment being used by Russian forces in the war with Ukraine. These targets include entities base in China, Turkey, and Central Asia which are involved in the supply and production of goods, such as components for drones.

Three private mercenary groups with links to the Kremlin will also be targeted in the latest package, including Africa Corps which operates in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the measures “will continue to push back on the Kremlin’s corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia’s attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine. And smashing the illicit international networks that Russia has worked so hard to forge.”

PA Media contributed to this report.