ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Friday to discuss increasing defense cooperation and sanctions against Russia, just hours before the Coalition of the Willing meeting.

Zelenskyy said he presented the Ukrainian-made interceptor drone OCTOPUS, which the United Kingdom will produce for testing in Ukraine under a new agreement that includes the first production batch.

“I thank Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the people of the United Kingdom for their steadfast support of our country in our fight against Russian aggression,” he said on Telegram.

He noted that tightening sanctions “must push Russia toward real negotiations,” adding that recent sanctions packages introduced by Kyiv’s partners were “very important.”

The two leaders also coordinated positions ahead of the Coalition of the Willing meeting, focusing on “security guarantees for Ukraine, the strengthening of air defense, long-range capabilities, and energy resilience.”

Earlier, Zelenskyy met with King Charles III, expressing gratitude “for his unwavering support of our people and his strong public messages in pursuit of peace for Ukraine.”