Keir Starmer says the UK is the "closest ally and supporter" of Ukraine while hosting Volodymyr Zelensky in London
There's more to do be done on Kyiv's long-range capability, he adds - something the PM's set to tell European leaders during the next round of talks with the so-called coalition of the willing
Starmer and Zelensky embraced outside 10 Downing Street as the Ukrainian president arrived - a clear message to Zelensky that the UK wants to remain one of Ukraine's most dependable allies, writes our reporter
It comes after Ukraine successfully attacked a Russian chemical plant using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles
Zelensky's come from Windsor, where he met King Charles for the third time this year
Away from the UK, Donald Trump has applied fresh sanctions against two of Russia's largest oil companies, in an effort to pressure Moscow into negotiations
Watch: King Charles greets Zelensky at Windsor earlier today
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, reporting from Downing Street
I have just spotted a Ukrainian delegation leaving No 10 and walking over to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO.
This includes Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, and Col Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the presidential office in Kyiv.
Rajini Vaidyanathan
Presenter, BBC News Channel
Image source, EPAJust a week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was at the Oval Office, for a meeting with President Trump which reportedly ended in a shouting match.
Today, with the Ukrainian flag flying above Downing Street, he's meeting Keir Starmer.
As the two leaders shared an embrace, Zelensky thanked the UK PM for his steadfast support.
You might remember Zelensky also visited Downing Street shortly after that infamous Oval Office bust-up with President Trump at the end of February.
The UK-Ukraine relationship is one Zelensky knows he can count on.
Image source, PA MediaIn response to comments from Starmer - see our last post for those - Volodymyr Zelensky thanks the UK for its support "from the very beginning of war but especially now - it's very important".
He goes on to accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of pushing Ukraine towards a "humanitarian disaster".
"Putin doesn't show that he wants to stop the war," he adds.
Image source, EPAWe can bring you a few comments from the talks between Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky now.
Sitting beside the Ukrainian leader, Starmer reaffirms his "absolute commitment to meeting the challenge of Russian aggression".
While praising Zelensky's "willingness of courage and determination", Starmer says: "What we see from Putin as an absolute unwillingness to engage".
"I do think that this week we can really bear down on Russian oil and gas," he says, adding that there have been "huge steps forward this week already".
The UK PM says Britain is the "closest supporter and ally" of Ukraine, but concedes there is more "we can do on capability, particularly... long-range capability", and security guarantees "when it comes to it".
We're getting some pictures now from Downing Street, where Zelensky's private meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is getting under way:
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA MediaVitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, reporting from Downing Street
Zelensky will be hoping that today he can build on the European Council's discussions yesterday in Brussels.
Commenting on some of yesterday's achievements, he said he was really happy at the progress made in providing Ukraine with more air defences.
Two more countries joined the group that will be buying weapons for Ukraine: Finland and Spain.
But there was one big disappointment for Ukraine,
Despite all the expectations that EU leaders would greenlight controversial plans for Russian assets held in Belgium to be used to secure a €140bn (£122.1bn) loan for Ukraine - and even though there was some sort of agreement on that issue - it isn't happening yet.
And that's a big disappointment for Zelensky.
Mohamed Madi
Reporting from Downing Street
This is a message to President Zelensky that the UK wants to remain one of Ukraine’s most dependable allies.
Arriving at Downing Street after a morning with the King, President Zelensky and Keir Starmer will now head into a round of talks with the Danish and Dutch Prime Ministers, as well as the Nato chief.
It’s very much the business end of this visit after the ceremony of Windsor.
Image source, Emer McCarthy/BBCPrime Minister Keir Starmer has greeted Volodymyr Zelensky with a hug and the pair shook hands.
They exchanged some words and posed for photos before heading into the black door at 10 Downing Street.
Image source, Vitaliy Shevchenko/BBC
Image source, ReutersPresident Zelensky has just arrived at Downing Street for his meeting with Prime Minister Starmer and other coalition of the willing leaders.
It's a red carpet welcome for the Ukrainian leader.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Reuters
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor
Image source, AFPZelensky is planning to buy 150 Swedish fighter jets for Ukraine's air force
Ukraine's president is always looking for fresh supplies of weapons to keep his country's military from running short in the face of Russia's full-scale war. His mission now is to obtain long-range missiles and to bolster Ukraine's air defences. He has also signed a letter of intent with Sweden to buy 150 Gripen fighter jets.
But he has other big priorities that he's been asking European leaders for help with too: cash to keep his country afloat, and intensifying sanctions on Russia.
One big success on that front this week was US President Trump's decision to impose sanctions on Russia's top oil producers, Lukoil and Rosneft. Putin has admitted they may have "certain consequences", even if he claims they won't hit the Russian economy.
The EU has now approved its 19th package of sanctions, external, which brings forward a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas, and Zelensky now says EU sanctions must be treated with the same worldwide respect as Trump's measures are.
Zelensky also needs to maintain the supply of cash - and while the EU last night committed itself to tackling Ukraine's financial needs for 2026-27, a summit of leaders failed to agree on providing Kyiv with about €140bn (£122bn) in Russian assets frozen in Belgium as collateral.
At Number 10, a red carpet is being rolled out to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other dignitaries to London.
And our team in Downing Street has also spotted the Ukrainian delegation arriving:
Image source, Matthew Sydney/BBC
Image source, Vitaliy Shevchenko/BBCPresident Volodymyr Zelenksy has a busy day ahead. Here's how his afternoon will unfold:
Sandro Vetsko
BBC Monitoring
Image source, Getty ImagesKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pictured earlier this month
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has clarified Vladimir Putin's warning following reports that Ukraine continues to seek missiles such as Tomahawks and that the US would not object to their use against Russia.
"This is an attempt at escalation," Putin told members of the Kremlin pool of reporters on Thursday. "However, if such weapons are used to strike Russian Federation territory the response will be very serious, if not to say overwhelming. Let them think about it."
During his daily call with members of the media today, Peskov explained that an "overwhelming" response would follow "attempts" to strike Russia rather than deliveries of missiles to Ukraine.
"You said it wrong. [An overwhelming response will follow] not deliveries of Tomahawk missiles, but attempts to carry out strikes deep into Russian territory. This is what the president said," TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying.
"I think the statement was so eloquent and exhaustive that there is nothing to clarify," Peskov added.
Peskov also said that Donald Trump had "postponed not cancelled" the meeting with Putin that was expected to take place in Budapest in the near future.
Image source, Getty ImagesIn Russia, Moscow Oblast's governor says five people have been injured after an overnight drone attack on a building in the city of Krasnogorsk.
The residential building was damaged as a result of the attack and four people were taken to hospital, Andrey Vorobyov says in a post on social media.
Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin says the Ministry of Defence's forces shot down three drones headed to Moscow. "Emergency services are working at the crash site," he adds.
A further four drones were intercepted over the neighbouring Kaluga Oblast, the Russian Ministry of Defence says in a separate update.
Image source, Getty ImagesAs we wait to hear from President Zelensky and the coalition of the willing, we can bring you an update from Ukraine.
Two people have been killed in Russian shelling in a district in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, the head of the city military administration says.
At least 17 others, including two teenagers, have been injured in the attack which happened in the city's Korabelnyi district this morning, Yaroslav Shanko says in a post on social media.
One of the victims is a woman who was in a bus at the time of the attack, he adds.
John Sudworth
in Kyiv
Ukraine senses that the tide is shifting further in terms of Europe’s readiness to provide the financial and military support it needs, especially with big doubts still looming over the US position.
Already this week we’ve had news of another strike on Russian territory using British-made Storm Shadow missiles, with the targeting of a chemical plant some 200 km beyond Ukraine’s borders.
The London talks will focus on providing more long-range capabilities, with the British Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, said to be ready to push European allies to do more.
Ukraine has been seeking German Taurus missiles which can hit targets up almost twice as far as the Storm Shadow, but so far Berlin has proved reluctant.
And President Volodymyr Zelensky, disappointed by Washington’s recent refusal to provide its far more powerful Tomahawk missiles, has noted that “European countries also have Tomahawks".
The only other country known to have a significant stockpile is the UK, although there’s been no public discussion by the government about the possibility of providing them and, without American approval, it might seem unlikely.
There are risks in all of this, of course, with President Trump himself citing possible escalation as one of his reasons for saying no to giving the weapons system to Ukraine.
At his recent press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin – a man who knows that as head of a nuclear power his words are carefully parsed by the outside world – said that the consequences of using such a weapon against Russia would be “serious, if not staggering.”
A view of Downing Street this morning shows the stage is set for Volodymyr Zelensky's arrival in London for a meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing.
The Ukrainian president will meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer along with other allies and is expected to discuss ways to put more pressure on Russia.
Stay with us as we'll bring you all the latest as the day unfolds.
Image source, Matthew Sydney/BBCSome pictures are now coming in to us from Windsor, where Zelensky is with King Charles.
He can be seen inspecting the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards, ahead of a meeting with the King inside the castle.
Image source, Duncan Stone Royal Pool
Image source, Duncan Stone Royal Pool
Image source, Duncan Stone Royal Pool
Image source, Duncan Stone Royal PoolAs we've mentioned in the post below, this is the third time President Zelensky and King Charles meet this year.
In March, Zelensky met the King at Sandringham after attending a summit of European leaders focused on ending the war in Ukraine. Royal sources said the meeting was just over an hour and President Zelensky was "warmly received" by the monarch.
Then, in June, the King hosted Zelensky at Windsor Castle.
King Charles has previously expressed support for Zelensky and Ukraine, saying the country had experienced "indescribable aggression" following Russia's "unprovoked attack on their land".
As we wait for fresh pictures to come in from Windsor Castle, here's a look at the pair's earlier meetings:
Image source, PA Media
Image source, ReutersUkraine's President Zelensky is in Windsor now to meet King Charles. This is their third meeting this year.
Arriving at Windsor Castle, he was given a royal salute and the Ukrainian national anthem was played.
We'll bring you some pictures of this when we get them.