Sir Keir Starmer has held crisis talks over the phone with both Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump following their heated exchange in the White House.
Mr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington DC as he attempted to secure a ceasefire agreement with Russia and a possible mineral deal with the US.
But his visit ended prematurely – with the signing of an agreement and a joint press conference with Mr Trump cancelled following their clash in the Oval Office.
Ukraine latest: Russian official responds to White House meeting
After the extraordinary meeting, both Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy spoke to the media and gave their reactions.
Meanwhile, European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Poland’s Donald Tusk shared their support for Ukraine.
And in a statement, a Downing Street spokesperson said Sir Keir had spoken to both Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy.
The spokesperson said: “He [Sir Keir] retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine.”
The spokesperson added that the prime minister was “looking forward” to welcoming Mr Zelenskyy to the UK for a summit of international leaders on Sunday.
‘Disrespectful’
As Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy met, with US vice president JD Vance joining them, tensions rose and a shouting match unfolded – all while cameras rolled and representatives from the media looked on.
The last 10 minutes of the almost 45-minute meeting descended into a tense back-and-forth, which began with Mr Vance telling Mr Zelenksyy: “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.
“You should be thanking the President [Trump] for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
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As the Ukrainian president tried to object, Mr Trump raised his voice and told him: “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.
“You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have.”
“You’re right now not in a very good position,” he continued. “You don’t have the cards right now with us, you start having problems right now.”
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‘This will be great television,’ says Trump
At one point, Mr Vance blasted Mr Zelenskyy for airing “disagreements” in front of the media, but the US president remarked: “I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on.”
“You’re not acting at all thankful,” he said. “This is going to be great television.”
Defending himself and his country, the Ukrainian president openly challenged Mr Trump on his softer approach to Vladimir Putin and urged him to make “no compromises with a killer”.
Security and Defence Editor
The fiery and very public bust-up between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a disaster for Ukraine and its European allies, and a triumph for Russia.
The spectacle of the US president berating his Ukrainian counterpart and telling him he is gambling with World War Three – played out on television from the Oval Office – was hard to witness.
Zelenskyy, looking increasingly uncomfortable, decided to fight back. He likely felt he had little choice but to defend himself and his war-torn country.
But this act of defiance drew even more condemnation from Trump as well as from JD Vance, who also started attacking the Ukrainian leader.
It is hard to imagine a greater contrast from the chummy scenes between Sir Keir Starmer and Trump and the scolding language used by the American president against Zelenskyy, at times addressing him as though he were a naughty schoolboy.
Ukraine’s president, his arms crossed, tried his best to speak up, but he was clearly fighting a losing battle. The extraordinary breakdown is far more serious than just a made-for-television drama.
American support for Ukraine is critical if Kyiv is to withstand Russia’s war. The UK, France and Ukraine’s other European allies have been working overtime to try to keep Trump on their side.
The US president has vowed to end the war and has started talks with Vladimir Putin. The two presidents also plan to meet. That alone was hard for Ukraine to witness.
But the Ukrainian side has attempted to work with Washington rather than against it, including by being willing to part with profits from its minerals and other natural resources in return for locking Trump into a long-term partnership with Ukraine.
That all looks to be shattered – or at best is in serious jeopardy.
If Trump, in anger, withdraws all his military support to Ukraine, Kyiv’s ability to withstand Russia’s military will be seriously diminished.
The Europeans lack the capability to fill the void. The only person who wins in this scenario is Vladimir Putin.
Posting on his Truth Social platform shortly after the clash, Mr Trump described the meeting as “very meaningful” and said: “Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure.
“It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”
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He continued: “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Zelenskyy posts on X after early exit
Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy had been due to have lunch with their delegations in the White House’s cabinet room after the meeting – but untouched salad plates and other items were seen being packed up as the meal was hastily called off.
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Such was the gulf following the row that Mr Trump told the Ukrainian leader to leave the White House, according to a US official, with the minerals deal now stuck in limbo.
Having left the White House early, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on X: “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit.
“Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
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Zelenskyy speaks to Fox News
What was supposed to be a victory lap on Fox News turned into disaster management for Mr Zelenskyy.
In an interview, he portrayed the meeting as a moment of frank and divergent views between the two but said he did not see the need to apologise.
He added he wished that Mr Trump was “more on our side” after the US president said he was in the middle of Ukraine and Russia.
“I want, really, him to be more on our side,” Mr Zelenskyy said. “It’s not just that the war began somewhere between our countries. The war began when Russia brought this war to our country. And they’re not right.”
Mr Zelenskyy also expressed a belief that the relationship could be salvaged.
Trump jets off to Florida – but not without a last word
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After the White House row, Mr Trump later spoke to reporters as he left for a weekend at his Florida home.
“What he’s got to say is, ‘I want to make peace.’ He doesn’t have to stand there and say ‘Putin this, Putin that,’ all negative things. He’s got to say, ‘I want to make peace. I don’t want to fight a war anymore’,” Mr Trump said.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev appeared to revel in the spectacle, writing on Telegram that the Ukrainian leader had received a “brutal dressing down”.
European leaders rally on social media
Meanwhile, in the fallout, European and world leaders were quick to rally and express their support for Mr Zelenskyy ahead of a summit in the UK on Sunday.
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A number of leaders including Canada’s Justin Trudeau, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz all tweeted.
After the Ukrainian leader was criticised in the White House for insufficient thanks to the US, he thanked the leaders individually on X.
Mr Zelenskyy also spoke with Mr Macron, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and EU Council president Antonio Costa by phone.
This all comes as on Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer is hosting a meeting of European leaders and Mr Zelenskyy to discuss any potential security backstop in Ukraine.
