Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London Thursday, as the Ukrainian President kicked off a Europe tour to push his "victory plan" against Russia.
Starmer said the Downing Street meetings, also attended by U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Defense Secretary John Healey and armed forces chief Adm. Tony Radakin, were a chance to "go through the plan, to talk in more detail."
Zelenskyy will also meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, before traveling to Paris for talks with President Emmanuel Macron. He will then meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Friday and travel to Italy to discuss the plan.
He had been due to present his blueprint at a weekend meeting of Western leaders and defense ministers in Germany but it has been postponed because U.S. President Joe Biden said he had to stay home to respond to Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday he hoped the meeting could be rescheduled soon.
Ukraine relies heavily on Western support, including tens of billions of dollars worth of military and financial aid, to keep up the fight against its bigger enemy after almost 1,000 days of fighting.
Fearing that crucial help could be in jeopardy due to political changes in donor countries, Ukraine has been building up its domestic arms industry. It also wants to raise more money from taxpayers to pay for the war effort.
The Ukrainian parliament passed a bill on second reading Thursday that raises the so-called military tax from 1.5% to 5%. Some amendments are expected before they become law.
The details of Zelenskyy’s plan have been kept quiet but contours have emerged, including the need for fast action on decisions Western allies have been mulling since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday at a summit in Croatia with leaders of southeastern European states that the plan seeks to strengthen Ukraine "both geopolitically and on the battlefield" before any kind of dialogue with Russia.
"Weakness of any of our allies will inspire (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," he said. "That’s why we’re asking them to strengthen us, in terms of security guarantees, in terms of weapons, in terms of our future after this war. In my view, he (Putin) only understands force."
Kyiv is still awaiting word from Western partners on its repeated requests to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets deep inside Russia. While some, including the U.K., are thought to be willing, Biden has held back out of concern it could escalate the conflict.
Ukraine’s leader last visited London in July, soon after Starmer’s Labour Party government was elected when he addressed a meeting of the British Cabinet.
Starmer’s spokesperson, Dave Pares, said Thursday’s meeting involved "broad strategic discussions" on U.K. and allied support for Ukraine during a "crucial period," rather than specific decisions.
It comes as Russia continues a slow but relentless drive deeper into Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and targets key infrastructure with airstrikes.
The death toll from a Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukraine's southern city of Odesa has risen to eight, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said Thursday. It’s the latest in a string of assaults on the Black Sea port.
A civilian container ship under a Panamanian flag was hit in the attack Wednesday, Kiper said on Telegram. He said it was the third attack on a civilian vessel in the past four days.