Volodymyr Zelensky live updates: Ukrainian president has the support of King Charles

After recieving a ‘warm welcome’ from King Charles the Ukrainian president and the monarch were served tea in Sandringham’s Saloon room, royal sources said.

More than 1,000 protestors gathered outside Downing Street today to call on Europe to defend Ukraine without help from the US.

A large crowd gathered to bid President Zelensky farewell as he departed London by helicopter ahead of his visit with The King.

‘The president was warmly received, and the meeting lasted just under an hour’, the Palace said after the meeting.

European powers must realise it is ‘not a moment for more talk, it is time to act’, Sir Keir Starmer has said following his defence summit on Ukraine.

Sir Keir told a press conference that ‘every nation must contribute’ in the best way it can and a number of ‘important steps’ were agreed.

Sir Keir said that leaders had agreed to ‘meet again very soon’ and said: ‘This is not a moment for more talk.

‘It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead, and to unite, around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.’

Sir Keir Starmer said there is a ‘huge amount of common ground’ between him and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

He said: ‘I had a very good bilateral meeting with Giorgia this morning, we had the first bilateral brunch, I think, in the history of British-Italian relations, so that was a first.

‘We get on personally, very well, and she’s very clear, I don’t want to speak for her, but I think her position is well known, that Europe and the US have to stand together and that bond must always be strong.

‘So there’s a huge amount of common ground between the way I see this and the way Giorgia sees this, particularly the view that it is important for the security and defence of Italy, Europe and the United Kingdom that we work as we’ve always worked closely aligned with the United States.’

King Charles was pictured standing beside President Zelensky in front of a roaring fire at his Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Local people, some holding Ukraine flags, gathered outside the estate to try to witness the arrival of President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk for his meeting with the King.

King Charles was pictured greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he arrived at Sandringham.

The Prime Minister said: ‘First, we will keep the military aid flowing and keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia to strengthen Ukraine now.

‘Second, we agreed that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, and Ukraine must be at the table.

‘Third, in the event of a peace deal, we will keep boosting Ukraine’s own defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion.

‘Fourth, we will go further to develop a coalition of the willing to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace.

‘Not every nation will feel able to contribute but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency, the UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others. Europe must do the heavy lifting.’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s helicopter has touched down at Sandringham to meet King Charles after the White House bust-up with Donald Trump and JD Vance.

Zelensky met Charles on his first visit to the UK after Russia invaded his country in 2023, calling the audience a ‘truly special moment for me, for our country’.

Relating to the King’s time in the RAF amid a campaign to secure jets from the UK, he quipped ‘in Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a king’.

Keir Starmer insisted he is working with Ukraine on a ‘plan to stop the fighting’ as European allies struggled to respond to Donald Trump’s extraordinary bust-up with Volodymyr Zelensky.

Speaking after a crisis summit in London, the PM said the world was at a ‘crossroads in history’ and he wanted to forge a way forward that could be presented to the US.

Positioning himself as a bridge to the White House, Sir Keir told a press conference that he still regarded America as a ‘reliable ally’. ‘We agree with the president on the urgent need for a durable peace… now we need to deliver,’ he said.

However, he stressed that ‘any deal must be backed by strength’ and ‘every nation must contribute in the best way it can’.

Sir Keir Starmer has announced a £1.6 billion finance deal which will allow Ukraine to buy more than 5,000 missiles, following a summit of European leaders in London.

Speaking to broadcasters outside Lancaster House following the conclusion of Sunday’s summit, Ms von der Leyen said ‘comprehensive security guarantees’ are needed.

She said ‘we have to put Ukraine in a position of strength’ so that ‘it has the means to fortify and protect itself’ in economic and military terms.

She added that ‘therefore the focus is not only on the military supply but also for example securing their energy system’.

She also mentioned a need to rearm Europe and said ‘and for that I will present a comprehensive plan to rearm Europe on March 6’.

The Turkish Foreign Minister has repeated his previous offer to host fresh peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Hakan Fidan was among world leaders who gathered in London for today’s summit.

Turkey hosted initial negotiations after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, helping secure a deal for the safe passage of grain exports in the Black Sea.

BBC News has reported that Fidan spoke with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the latest developments in the war before the summit.

It is understood that Sir Keir will hold a press conference from Lancaster House at 5pm today.

Keir Starmer has played down the prospect of Donald Trump’s state visit invite being withdrawn in the wake of his spat with Volodymyr Zelensky.

The PM stressed that the invitation was a ‘matter for the King’ but swiped at people ‘trying to ramp up the rhetoric’ over the White House chaos.

No10 sources were adamant that there is no chance of the visit being axed, despite a furious backlash at the ‘humiliation’ of the Ukraine president in the Oval Office.

Sir Keir handed Mr Trump a letter from King Charles offering him the unprecedented honour when he made his own trip to Washington last week.

The US president is known to be an admirer of the Royal Family, and the state visit was seen as a major tool in Sir Keir’s diplomatic armoury.

Front row from left: Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Centre row from left: Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Romania’s interim President Ilie Bolojan.

Back row from left: Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte,the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Turkey’s foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

The joint statement from Volodymr Zelensky and Giorgia Meloni came ahead of the summit this afternoon.

Italy‘s Giorgia Meloni was greeted warmly by Keir Starmer outside the famous black door of Downing Street.

As they sat down for bilateral talks inside, the PM insisted that they approached issues from the ‘same mindset’. Ms Meloni said she believed they could both help build ‘bridges’ with the US.

Sir Keir Starmer also told leaders gathered at Lancaster House: ‘In my conversations in recent days, we agreed a group of us will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then discuss that with the US and take it forward together.’

Ukraine’s allies need to also continue their support in the moment, Sir Keir said, adding: “Even while Russia talks about peace, they are continuing their relentless aggression.”

He concluded: ‘That is the agenda and we need to agree what steps come out of this meeting to deliver peace through strength for the benefit of all.

World leaders have now gathered at Lancaster House for the security summit.

It is understood that discussions will take place over the next couple of hours. Whilst the exact details of the talks are not known, the BBC has reported that possible topics could include Europe’s possible role in bringing an end to the war, as well as the continent’s relations with the US.

The Prime Minister is expected to hold a press conference at the conclusion of talks.

European leaders kicked off a crucial summit to forge a Ukraine strategy today after the extraordinary White House bust-up between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.

After embracing Mr Zelensky on the steps of Lancaster House in London, the PM  told the gathering they must step up to a ‘once in a generation moment’.

Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni also received a warm welcome, as Britain, France and Italy look set to take key roles in a ‘coalition of the willing’ to enforce any peace deal with Russia.

The leaders are expected to signal a ramping up of defence spending with Sir Keir urging them to recognise the ‘brutal reality’ of the US pulling back from military guarantees.

The summit was already planned before the on-camera slanging match with Mr Trump and his vice president JD Vance.

European leaders need to step up at a ‘once in a generation moment’, Sir Keir

Starmer said at the start of the defence summit on Ukraine in London.

Sir Keir shakes hands with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

French Emmanual Macron with Sir Keir outside Lancaster House

Sir Keir with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The world leaders held a meeting in Downing Street earlier today

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking outside of today’s summit

Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with world leaders today for the summit at Lancaster House in London.

This includes the leaders of Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania.

The Turkish Foreign Minister, NATO Secretary General and the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council will also attend.

Hundreds of demonstators have started their planned rally outside Downing Street by singing the Ukrainian national anthem.

It comes after world leaders arrived at Lancaster House for talks on the country’s security.

People carried large Ukrainian flags and placards that said ‘war is not over in Ukraine! Ukrainian rally. World wake up!’ and ‘Russian captivity kills’.

A metres-long banner was draped over a wall that read: “When the last Ukrainian soldier falls, Putin will come for you ladies (and) gents!”

A woman on a megaphone repeatedly shouted ‘thank you Britain’ and the crowd chanted the same back.

They went on to call out ‘Russia is a terrorist state” and “world, do not betray Ukraine’.

Volodymyr Zelensky and Sir Keir Starmer warmly embraced and had a short conversation outside the venue before heading inside for today’s secuity summit in London.