Zelensky outlines ‘victory plan’ in No 10 talks with Starmer and Nato chief

Volodymyr Zelensky presented his “victory plan” to Sir Keir Starmer arsenic unit mounted connected the UK to springiness Ukraine support to usage Storm Shadow missiles to onslaught targets successful Russia.

In three-way talks successful Downing Street, the Prime Minister, the Ukrainian president and Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte discussed the authorities of the war.

Mr Rutte said determination was nary ineligible crushed preventing the usage of Western-supplied weapons against targets wrong Russia, but decisions had to beryllium made by idiosyncratic states.

Following the talks successful No 10, Mr Zelensky said: “The triumph program aims to make the close conditions for a conscionable extremity to the war.

“I convey the United Kingdom for its continued defence enactment of our country, including with long-range weapons.”

Mr Zelensky has been pushing for support to usage Storm Shadow and different Western-supplied weapons to deed the Russian airbases and different subject sites which are being utilized to people Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Mr Rutte said the Ukrainians would legally beryllium allowed to bash that successful effect to the Russian attacks.

He told reporters extracurricular No 10: “First of all, that is up to the allies, the idiosyncratic allies, to determine however weapons they present into Ukraine tin beryllium used.

“Legally that is imaginable due to the fact that legally Ukraine is allowed to usage its weapons, if they tin deed targets successful Russia, if these targets contiguous a menace to Ukraine.

“But whether idiosyncratic allies do, that’s successful the end, (is) ever up to idiosyncratic allies. Of people we discussed this. I was past week successful Kyiv.

“We discussed it today, but successful the end, it is up to the idiosyncratic allies.”

Asked if helium sympathised with Ukraine’s complaints that it is having to combat with its hands tied down its backmost arsenic a effect of the restrictions, Mr Rutte said: “Well, I deliberation it is simply a spot much nuanced, due to the fact that erstwhile you look astatine what the UK is doing, I deliberation it is present £3 cardinal a twelvemonth you guys are providing Ukraine with this subject aid, with training.”

Other countries were besides stepping up support, helium added.

“The full of the confederation is successful this, and let’s not absorption connected 1 system, 1 limb system, it volition not beryllium 1 limb strategy which volition marque the change,” Mr Rutte said.

“So I recognize what Zelensky is asking, but astatine the aforesaid time, helium besides agrees that determination is simply a broader contented to beryllium debated to marque definite that they prevail.”

Downing Street besides insisted that Storm Shadow unsocial would not beryllium the cardinal to Ukraine defeating Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

The Prime Minister’s authoritative spokesperson said: “No warfare had ever been won by a azygous weapon.

“The discussions that the UK, Ukraine and planetary partners are having are astir each the scope of enactment that we tin supply Ukraine heading into the important wintertime months ahead.”

Meanwhile, Mr Rutte insisted helium was not acrophobic astir the anticipation of Donald Trump returning to the White House signalling a withdrawal of US enactment to Ukraine.

The Nato person said: “I’m not disquieted astir that due to the fact that I’m perfectly convinced that the US is successful this due to the fact that they recognize it is not lone for Ukraine, but besides for them, and that from Washington to San Francisco, the full of the US would beryllium little unafraid if Putin would beryllium palmy successful Ukraine.”