Britain renewed its support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call with Burnham, as relations between Washington and Kyiv face a dispute over the US administration’s move to ease sanctions imposed on Russian diesel. A statement from Downing Street said Burnham told Zelenskyy that he recognised that “the past 24 hours had been difficult for Ukraine”, reaffirming London’s support for him.
Britain pledges tougher sanctions on Russia
The two men discussed the importance of maintaining pressure on Moscow. Burnham confirmed that Britain would continue tightening sanctions, along with taking further measures aimed at reducing the capabilities of the Russian war machine, building on new sanctions announced by London this week against Russian targets.
According to a Downing Street statement, Burnham and Zelenskyy agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting in the coming days to continue their talks amid developments related to the war and pressure imposed on Russia.
The call came after the US administration moved to ease sanctions on Russian diesel, alongside Russian strikes on Ukraine that killed at least 21 people. Donald Trump and Zelenskyy exchanged sharp criticism over the US move on Saturday, while London affirmed its commitment to maintaining pressure on Moscow.
