Russia-Ukraine war live: Sunak meets Zelenskiy in Kyiv and confirms UK’s ‘continued support’
Rishi Sunak in Kyiv meeting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photograph: AP
Rishi Sunak travels to Kyiv for first meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Rishi Sunak, the new British prime minister, met the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Kyiv today.
It was the first meeting of the two leaders.
A Number 10 spokesperson said that Sunak had travelled to Ukraine to meet Zelensky and “confirm continued UK support”.
Sunak tweeted:
Updated at 13.46 GMT
16.34 GMT
Five people were injured in a Russian strike on a humanitarian station in southern Ukraine, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the presidential administration, said the attack took place in the town of Bilozerka, just west of the city of Kherson, which Ukrainian troops retook from Russian forces last week. He said the centre had been handing out bread, Reuters reports.
The United Nations has said more than 16,000 civilians have been killed since Russia’s invasion. Moscow has denied targeting civilians.
16.25 GMT
Moscow has not officially contacted Kyiv about peace negotiations, but Russia would have to completely withdraw its forces for talks to take place, a top Ukrainian official has said.
Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian presidential chief of staff, said:
We have not any official application from the Russian side about… negotiations.”
He added that any talks not based on Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity within the limits of its internationally recognised borders are “not acceptable”, Agence France-Presse reports.
Yermak added:
The first steps it’s necessary to do from the Russian side is to withdraw all Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.”
He was speaking in English via video link at the Halifax International Security Forum which is taking place in Canada.
His remarks come a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed the idea of a “short truce” with Russia, saying it would only make things worse.
Source The Guarding.
