Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street on June 23, ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.

Zelensky had earlier paid a visit to King Charles III at Windsor Castle before joining Starmer to discuss continued British support for Ukraine’s defense.

During a joint visit to a U.K. military training site for Ukrainian personnel, Starmer said he and Zelensky held "an excellent bilateral meeting" and had agreed to an "industrial military co-production agreement." He described the deal as "a massive step forward in the contribution that we can continue to make." Zelensky added the agreement "will be very strong and will transform both nations," though specific details were not disclosed.

Addressing Ukrainian troops, Starmer said it was "really humbling" to witness their "level of professionalism, commitment and bravery." Around 58,000 Ukrainian service members have been trained under the international program based in the U.K.

Zelensky thanked the U.K for its consistent backing since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. “We are very thankful to the UK... for such big support of Ukraine from the very beginning of this war,” he said. He noted that the UK-based training initiative has “strengthened our army” and enabled Ukraine to “survive and fight.”

The visit precedes the NATO summit in The Hague, where allies are set to unveil new defense spending targets. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said member states will aim to spend five percent of GDP on defense — a move he called “a quantum leap that is ambitious, historic and fundamental to securing our future.”

Under a compromise deal, members will commit to allocating at least 3.5 percent of GDP to core military expenditures and 1.5 percent to broader security areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure.

Explained: How Ukraine and Russia swap prisoners of war

Even after Ukraine cut diplomatic ties with Russia in 2022, prisoner exchanges have continued as one of the few remaining channels of communication between the two countries. Negotiated behind closed doors and carried out irregularly, POW swaps — and the decisions surrounding them — have long been shrouded in secrecy. Controversies have

The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the U.K. on June 23 to conduct several meetings with "a primary goal" of deepening defense cooperation, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said in comments reported by Ukrinform.

Zelensky's visit comes just a few hours after yet another Russian attack on Kyiv, which killed at least seven and injured almost 30 people. A residential buliding was partially destroyed in a direct ballistic missile hit.

In the U.K., Zelensky is to meet with King Charles III, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as with the speakers of both houses of parliament, Lindsay Hoyle and John McFall, according to Nykyforov.

Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with Ukrainian military personnel undergoing training in the U.K. and representatives of think tanks.

This year, the U.K. has allocated 4.5 billion pounds ($5.8 billion) for military assistance to Ukraine, marking its largest annual commitment so far.

London remains one of Kyiv's most steadfast military partners, providing long-range missiles, armored vehicles, training, and political support against Russian aggression.

Russia pulls its scientists out of Iranian nuclear plant, as Israeli strikes threaten decades of collaboration

Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have alarmed none more than Russia, the country that first brought nuclear power to Iran in defiance of Western objections. We’re “millimeters from catastrophe,” said Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on June 18 in response to a bombing campaign that Israel launched against

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 23 highlighted Russia's hypocrisy for describing U.S. strikes on Iran as "grossly violating international law" just hours before launching yet another deadly mass missile and drone strike on Ukraine.

"After the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, there was an uproar from Moscow," Zelensky said.

"The Russian leadership demonstratively condemned the 'missile and bomb' actions. Today, Moscow is silent — after its own army launched a cynical attack using Russian-Iranian 'Shaheds' and missiles on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities."

Moscow on June 22 condemned the recent U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

"The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb strikes, no matter what arguments are used, is grossly violating international law, the U.N. Charter, and the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Overnight on June 23 a devastating Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv killed at least 7 people and injured dozens more, including children.

The attack was one of the largest air assaults on the capital this year, with 368 aerial weapons launched, including 159 Iranian-made Shahed drones and 16 missiles, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

Air defenses intercepted most, but not all. The attack hit six locations directly, causing destruction in 25 separate sites across Kyiv and the wider region.

Governor of Kyiv Oblast Tymur Tkachenko reported 6 people were killed, with 25 other injured in Kyiv alone, including four children.

In his remarks, Zelensky also warned of a growing alliance between Russia, Iran, and North Korea — a "coalition of killers," he said, and urged countries near these regimes to consider whether they can defend themselves if such a bloc continues to spread terror.

"Each country neighboring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should ask whether their own defenses are enough if this axis of evil preserves and remains unchecked," he said.

Zelensky, speaking ahead of meetings with British officials during his visit to the U.K., said he would push for stronger collective air defense and tougher sanctions on Russia.

Zelensky's comments came just a day after Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called for the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program following U.S. air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

"Iran is complicit in the crime of aggression against Ukraine," the ministry said in a June 22 statement. "The Iranian regime is providing military assistance to Russia, including the supply of UAVs and technologies that Russia consistently uses to kill people and destroy critical infrastructure."

The statement followed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of successful air strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, conducted in coordination with Israel.

Moscow, which condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has long cooperated with Tehran on nuclear and military matters. Russia supplied Iran with its first nuclear power plant and has relied on Iranian drones throughout its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia pulls its scientists out of Iranian nuclear plant, as Israeli strikes threaten decades of collaboration

Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have alarmed none more than Russia, the country that first brought nuclear power to Iran in defiance of Western objections. We’re “millimeters from catastrophe,” said Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on June 18 in response to a bombing campaign that Israel launched against

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post