Ukraine EU allies to eye long-range weapons, frozen assets in London meeting

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will convene a high-level meeting in London on October 24 with Ukraine and its allies to discuss increasing military support for Kyiv and unlocking frozen assets.

The talks, part of the so-called “coalition of the willing,” will see Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy join in person, alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Around 20 other leaders are expected to participate virtually, Caliber.Az reports via Sky News. 

Starmer is urging allies to step up the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine, following a recent attack on a chemical plant in Bryansk using British Storm Shadow missiles. Ahead of the meeting, he said:

“The only person involved in this conflict who does not want to stop the war is President Putin, and his depraved strikes on young children in a nursery this week make that crystal clear. Time and again we offer Putin the chance to end his needless invasion, to stop the killing and recall his troops, but he repeatedly rejects those proposals and any chance of peace.”

The UK prime minister emphasised the global stakes of the conflict, noting that “Ukraine's security matters to us all, and what happens on the frontline of Donetsk today is shaping our collective future for years to come.”

In addition, Starmer is set to announce an accelerated UK missile-building programme, delivering an extra 140 air defence missiles this winter.

The coalition of the willing, led by Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to strengthen Ukraine’s defences and ensure it has a seat at the table in any future negotiations with Russia.

By Sabina Mammadli