Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a rare appearance at a British cabinet meeting on Friday, aiming to bolster London's support for Kyiv.
As per Reuters, the meeting was part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's efforts to enhance Britain's role in international affairs.
Zelenskiy was welcomed with a standing ovation by British ministers. He called on Western allies to allow Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes on Russia, urging Britain to convince its partners to lift restrictions on such operations.
Different NATO members have varying policies on how Ukraine can use donated weapons.
Some permit strikes inside Russia, while the United States allows use only near Russia's border against targets supporting Russian military actions in Ukraine.
Starmer, who had a private 35-minute meeting with Zelenskiy before a broader discussion with officials, promised to speed up aid deliveries to Ukraine.
The defence minister confirmed earlier that the aid pledged by the former Conservative government would be delivered within 100 days.
Starmer reassured Zelenskiy that despite the change in government, Britain's commitment to Ukraine remains steadfast.
"Ukraine is, and always will be, at the heart of this government's agenda," Starmer said.
Britain has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022.
