Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskiy have agreed on the “importance of refining” UK training of Ukrainian forces to “strengthen” the country’s defences.
In a call with the Ukrainian president on Monday, the prime minister said the Western allies were “united in their determination to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible in 2025”.
It comes as the Ministry of Defense is considering the possibility of sending British troops to Ukraine to help train its armed forces.
The UK is training Ukrainian soldiers in the UK from 2022, while a small team of British Army medical specialists is also training inside Ukraine.
Britain and other NATO members have not sent troops to Ukraine or imposed a no-fly zone over the country for fear of entering into direct conflict with Russia. However, individual members have provided weapons and equipment.
In their call, Downing Street said the two leaders discussed Operation Interflex, which has seen more than 45,000 Ukrainian personnel trained on British soil since Russia invaded Ukraine.
A spokesman for Number 10 said the pair “agreed on the importance of improving our offer to further strengthen Ukraine’s capability on the battlefield.”
“What happens in Ukraine in the coming weeks and months is important for Europe and NATO, and it was imperative that President Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine fail, the leaders agreed,” he added.
In a post on X, Zelenskiy said he thanked Sir Keir and the British public “for their unwavering support that continues to save lives in Ukraine”.
The call came after Sir Kiir attended the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Estonia, where leaders discussed support for Ukraine.
The defense alliance consists of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.
Downing Street said the group “highlighted the importance of matching our words with concrete action”, including further sanctions on Russia’s “shadow fleet” of ships used to export oil, deadly. Aid includes acceleration and support for the Ukrainian defense industrial base.