UK Prime Minister seeks to mend ties with Zelensky after US diesel sanction shift

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Burnham announced an upcoming meeting with President Zelensky, describing it as an effort to rebuild cooperation that was damaged by President Trump’s recent easing of sanctions on Russian diesel ahead of US mid-term elections. Burnham said he will listen closely to Zelensky and guarantee that Britain does not depart the talks without tangible assistance. He pledged accelerated delivery of British lightweight multirole missiles, which have proven effective against Russian drones, and signaled that further sanctions against Moscow will be prepared in the weeks ahead.

Chancellor John Healey is set to use IMF meetings in Bangkok to call for a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas, while the UK will urge other allies to increase pressure on Russia. The diplomatic push follows US remarks questioning Ukraine’s leadership and allegations that intelligence sharing with Kyiv may have been halted, claims Trump denied. Zelensky later reported another un-warned ballistic missile strike on a major Kyiv power plant.