London backs Zelensky amid criticism from Trump

The United Kingdom has officially confirmed its support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This reaction came against the backdrop of statements by US President Donald Trump, who expressed the view that a new leader needs to be elected in Ukraine.

Position of the British government

The call for support for Kyiv was made by UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Speaking on British television, he stated:

«Ми підтримуємо Україну. Ми підтримуємо президента Зеленського» (We support Ukraine. We support President Zelensky).

Streeting emphasised that Russia bears responsibility for starting the war. According to him, Volodymyr Putin has the opportunity to stop the fighting but does not do so.

Domestic political context in the US

The British minister suggested that Trump's position may be linked to the upcoming US midterm elections, scheduled for November. Streeting noted that the American president is under pressure due to the rising cost of living and energy prices in the US.

At the same time, he called for not exaggerating the impact of purchasing Russian oil on Washington's overall support for Ukraine.

Call for unity among allies

«Те, чого ми хочемо, – це максимальної єдності серед союзників України» (What we want is maximum unity among Ukraine's allies), Streeting concluded. He emphasised the need to increase economic pressure on Russia.