Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the UK for “saving countless lives” in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion nearly three years ago.
The Ukrainian president was responding to Keir Starmer’s insistence that Britain’s support for his country “remains iron clad”.
The PM’s comments came on the “sobering milestone” of the 1,000th day of the brutal war.
Posting on X, Zelenskyy replied: “Dear Keir Starmer, thank you, and the entire United Kingdom, for their unwavering support for Ukraine.
“The UK’s steadfast assistance has been crucial in saving countless lives.”
Starmer has called on the West to “double down” on its support for Ukraine.
He has also accused Vladimir Putin of plumbing “new depths of depravity” in his desperation to win the war.
However, he has refused to confirm whether the UK will follow America in allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia.
He said: “My position has always been that Ukraine must have what it needs for as long as it needs. Putin must not win this war. But look, forgive me, I’m not going to go into operational matters, because there’s only one winner if I do that, and that is Putin and it would undermine Ukrainian efforts.”
In response to Joe Biden’s decision, Putin has lowered the threshold at which Russia can use nuclear weapons, heightening fears that the war is entering a dangerous new phase.