​​​​​​​LONDON

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday that the UK and its allies should do more to strengthen Ukraine’s long-range missile capability, describing Britain as Kyiv’s “closest supporter and ally.”

Speaking at the start of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Downing Street, Keir said that “huge steps forward” had already been taken this week to support Ukraine, but there was “further we can do” on long-range capability.

“Volodymyr, it’s really good to be able to welcome you here in Downing Street again for a really important meeting between the two of us, bilaterally, but also for the coalition of the willing,” he said.

“Through seeing his majesty, through our meeting and through the coalition of the willing, we reaffirm again our support for you and Ukraine and our absolute commitment to meeting the challenge of Russian aggression,” he added.

“And whilst you have signaled the path for a way forward and shown that willingness of courage and determination, what we see from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is an absolute unwillingness to engage, in fact, the opposite, which is the continued attacks increasingly on civilians and on children and sadly, I have to offer you my condolences again, as I did the last time we met and the time before, for those terrible losses.

“I do think that this week we can really bear down on Russian oil and gas. Huge steps forward this week already. I think there’s further we can do on capability, particularly … long-range capability, and of course, the vital work for coalition of the willing when it comes to the security guarantees that are necessary.

“So, we’ve got really important business to go through with the coalition of the willing today, but it’s very good to be able to welcome you back.”

Zelenskyy thanked the UK for its continued support and warned that Putin was pushing Ukraine toward a “humanitarian disaster.”

“Yes, I agree with you and know that Putin doesn’t show that he wants to stop the war,” he said.

He added that Russian aggression was “pushing us with such a humanitarian disaster” with attacks targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure, including the energy sector.

Attending the meeting in person are Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, while around 20 additional leaders are expected to join via video link.