Zelenskyy's visit comes at a time when the Iran war has revived Russia’s ailing economy through increased oil revenue and scuttled US-brokered talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Tuesday for talks on peace and sanctions on Russia.
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The meeting comes at a time when the Iran war has revived Russia’s ailing economy through increased oil revenue, robbed US-brokered talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine of momentum and could soon limit Kyiv’s access to vital Western air defence systems that are needed in the Middle East.
“We can’t lose focus on what’s going on in Ukraine and the need for our support,” Starmer said alongside Zelenskyy for talks at 10 Downing Street, which NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also attended.
“Putin can’t be the one who benefits from the conflict in Iran, whether that’s oil prices or the dropping of sanctions,” Starmer said. “It is really important we keep our resolve in relation to supporting Ukraine, doing everything we can to weaken the hand of Putin."
Zelenskyy said the talks would also assess energy security, after Russia hammered Ukraine's power grid over the winter, and the battlefield situation.
Last week, the US temporarily waived some Russian oil sanctions in a bid to ease pressure on global supplies triggered by the war in the Middle East, which was sparked by the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on 28 February.
Zelenskyy and some other European leaders criticised Washington’s move to ease sanctions, saying it would provide a windfall for Moscow to keep up its attacks on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also met with King Charles during his visit.
European leaders underline risks of Iran war for Ukraine
In Brussels, EU Foreign Chief Kaja Kallas noted on Tuesday that Russia stands to gain from higher energy prices and the rerouting of advanced Western air defence systems from Ukraine to the Middle East.
But, she said, Ukraine “remains Europe’s top security priority and attention for Ukraine will not be allowed to fizzle out.”
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said the Iran war is bad for Ukraine, “mainly because of the oil price which feeds the Russian war machinery. The Russian economy was actually doing extremely badly a couple of weeks back. Now it’s bouncing back."
Ukraine is the “ultimate loser” from the war with Iran, said Ed Arnold, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
That, he said, is because the war is draining stocks of American air defence missiles that are crucial for Kyiv to shoot down Russian missiles and is diverting Washington’s attention from Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
Ukrainian teams have recently visited Gulf countries to discuss mutual interests, according to Zelenskyy.
Trump has spurned Zelenskyy’s offer of help for the United States and its Persian Gulf partners in fighting Iranian drones. Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading producers of high-tech, battle-tested drone interceptors.
British officials say Russia and Iran are collaborating on drone technology and tactics in the Middle East. Drone combat experts from the UK and Ukraine have been sent to the region to help Iran’s neighbors repel its drone attacks.
Starmer’s office said the UK and Ukraine will sign a deal combining “Ukraine’s expertise and the UK's industrial base to manufacture and supply drones and innovative capabilities.” Britain is also funding an “AI Center of Excellence” in conjunction with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.