Zelenskyy met with King Charles III

On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began his official visit to the United Kingdom with a meeting at Buckingham Palace with King Charles III. 

Zelenskyy wrote about this in a Telegram post.

During the meeting, the monarch expressed his unwavering support for the Ukrainian people, and the parties discussed humanitarian issues and the strengthening of ties between the two countries. This visit served as yet another testament to the special nature of relations between Kyiv and London amid Russia’s ongoing aggression.

After the audience, the president arrived at Downing Street for a series of strategic talks. A key event was the signing of a new bilateral declaration on defense partnership with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The document provides for deepening industrial cooperation, joint production of drones, and the creation of a center of excellence in Kyiv in the field of artificial intelligence for defense needs. The United Kingdom also announced the allocation of 500,000 pounds sterling for the development of technological solutions to gain an advantage on the battlefield.

Special attention was paid during the visit to Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration during a trilateral meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who traveled to London specifically for these talks.

As a reminder, Zelenskyy stated that Russia has lost nearly 100,000 troops in three months.

Zelenskyy also congratulated António José Segura on his election as President of Portugal.