Sir Keir Starmer spoke with Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron following his Downing Street love-in with Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.
It is understood the calls took place after the PM insisted Ukraine had ‘full backing across the United Kingdom’ in a Number 10 meeting with the country’s president.
Sir Keir also told the Ukrainian leader that Britain stands with his nation ‘for as long as it may take’ – and embraced him several times on camera.
It comes as world leaders are due to hold crunch talks on Ukraine’s future in London on Sunday – with Zelensky also set to meet King Charles.
The PM’s call with Trump is the second in two days as he seeks to act as a bridge between Europe and America and keep NATO together.
It follows his successful flattery campaign at the White House on Thursday when he met Trump to discuss plans for Ukraine’s future.
Trump and Zelensky’s furious Oval Office spat on Friday has shaken the foundations of the transatlantic alliance.
While European allies rallied to Ukraine’s side, Trump’s American backers have insisted he was standing up for their country’s interests.
Volodymyr Zelensky reunited with Keir Starmer on Saturday as he travelled to London for crunch talks with EU leaders
Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shake hands during a joint press conference on Thursday
Emmanuel Macron welcomes Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he arrives for a meeting with European leaders on Ukraine on February 17
Media reports from the US suggested Trump considered cutting off all aid to Ukraine following their clash.
During the diplomatic blowout broadcast around the world, Trump claimed his Ukrainian counterpart was ‘gambling with World War Three’.
The Ukrainian leader was also accused of not being thankful enough for US military aid by both the US president and his deputy JD Vance.
In contrast with the terse exchange in the Oval Office, Mr Zelensky praised his meeting with the Prime Minister as ‘meaningful and warm’.
Sir Keir, who usually stands at the doorstep of No 10 to greet world leaders, walked towards Mr Zelensky to meet him as he arrived.
They then shared a hug before approaching the famous black door of No 10 together.
A group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators could be seen outside the gates of the street, and were heard to cheer as Mr Zelensky’s convoy drove by.
‘That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you and how much they support Ukraine,’ Sir Keir later told Mr Zelensky at the top of their meeting in Downing Street’s White Room.
It comes as NATO chief Mark Rutte warned Zelensky on Saturday that he needs to find a way to restore his relationship with President Donald Trump.
‘It is important that President Zelensky finds a way to restore his relationship with the American President and with the senior American leadership team,’ Rutte told the BBC.
He described the meeting at the White House as ‘unfortunate’.
Zelensky is seen arriving at Downing Street for talks with PM Keir Starmer
Trump shakes hands with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a meeting in the Oval Office
The Ukrainian President’s furious bust-up with the US President has sent diplomatic ripples across the world (pictured: Starmer and Zelensky at No 10 today)
Rutte’s dire warning came after Zelensky duked it out with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office over the conditions of a possible ceasefire with Russia.
Tempers flared on all sides, with Trump threatening to abandon Ukraine completely if Zelensky didn’t agree to his peace terms.
He and Vance also repeatedly accused Zelensky of not being grateful for America’s sustained military support of Ukraine, which has totaled to roughly $100 billion according to one recent estimate.
Meanwhile, Zelensky showed pictures of the devastation of his country to Trump while also arguing he had thanked the American people for their aid.
The yelling match was unlike anything ever seen publicly in the Oval Office and it played out on TV screens across the world.
The Ukrainian abruptly left the White House following the war of words, and later refused to apologise.
However, speaking inside Number 10 on Saturday, Sir Keir firmly reassured the Ukrainian president that the UK will continue to support his country.
He said: ‘Let me just say that you’re very, very welcome here in Downing Street.
‘And as you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom, and we stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take. I hope you heard some of that cheering on the street.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy leaves after meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street in London
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hugs Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he leaves 10 Downing Street
‘That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine, and our absolute determination to stand with you – unwavering determination – and to achieve what we both want to achieve, which is a lasting peace.’
He continued: ‘A lasting peace for Ukraine based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine – so important for Ukraine, so important for Europe and so important for the United Kingdom.
‘So I’m much looking forward to our discussions here this afternoon – thank you very much for making the time to come.’
Zelensky praised Britain and King Charles for being ‘such big support from the very beginning’.
He added: ‘We’re happy and count on your support and really really have [been] such partners.’
Starmer and Zelensky are among the leaders who will gather in London on Sunday to consider how to strengthen Ukraine’s current position.
BBC Political Editor Chris Mason said: ‘Having met and got on with President Trump on Thursday Sir Keir is attempting to act as a bridge between Washington and Kyiv and Washington and Europe. But the Western alliance is fracturing before our eyes.’
Zelensky talks with US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Offic
Zelensky’s plane was seen on the tarmac at London Stanstead Airport on Saturday morning
This morning former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that the NATO could be at risk of losing the US if it does not feel Europe is ‘pulling its weight’.
The Tory MP told the Today programme: ‘From Europe’s point of view there is an even bigger priority than the future of Ukraine, which is the future of NATO. And there is a simple message from what happened yesterday and that is that we can’t take that for granted.
‘The 2.5 per cent of GDP increase in defence spending this week is extremely welcome from Keir Starmer but it won’t be enough and we need all European N countries to be spending much closer to the 3.4 per cent of GDP that America is spending before America feels that Europe is pulling its weight.
‘And if we don’t do that, if America feels unfairly treated, we can see the fireworks and the sort of things that we’ll be putting at risk. So right now that is a very, very big priority behind the scenes – to make sure that America remains anchored in the Western alliance.’
Mr Hunt, who passionately spoke in defence of Ukraine while shadow Chancellor last year, said that this weekend’s summit could be a critical moment for relations with the US.
He continued: ‘Keir Starmer could still be Prime Minister when Donald Trump leaves the White House – what he will want to know and be sure of is that Nato also survives with him. And that’s why what Europe does next is very very important.
‘If Europe wants a seat at the table it needs to bring something to the table. And really the only two things that we can bring in this situation are an increase in defence spending and an offer to help police a ceasefire.
‘We can get round the table – it’s been a very, very bumpy start but that’s part of this president’s negotiating style. But what we need today is cool heads, a little bit of time and then to get back to the negotiations.’
Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky embrace after speaking to members of the media following a presentation of Ukrainian military drones in Kyiv in January
Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a bilateral meeting at 10, Downing Street on July 19, 2024
Pictured: During a joint press conference between Trump and Starmer on Thursday
Responding to Friday’s spat, a No 10 spokeswoman said: ‘The Prime Minister has tonight spoken to both President Trump and President Zelensky.
‘He 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 Prime Minister looks forward to hosting international leaders on Sunday including President Zelensky.’
The statement from Downing Street followed a show of unity from Europe’s political leaders, supporting Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen were among the leaders to express solidarity with Zelensky.
Zelensky pointedly thanked dozens of allies on social media, a day after Trump and JD Vance accused him of not being sufficiently grateful.
Meanwhile in Moscow, the country is delighting in Trump’s televised spectacle – with newscasters and public figures joyfully reveling in the war leader’s humiliation.
Trump points as he speaks to reporters as he prepares to depart the White House in Washington
Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House
Pictured: Chairs stand empty at the site of the planned agreement signing for a minerals deal
‘The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And @realDonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is ‘gambling with WWIII,” wrote Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Medvedev on X.
Medvedev, now Putin’s deputy on the Russian security council, said Russia had nothing to fear from Europe’s leaders as he added in another statement that Putin is now the leader of the free world.
He mocked: ‘Europe is a feeble, grumpy old woman who desperately needs the tutelage of the US.’
Aleksandr Kareyevsky, a TV host on the Rossiya 24 channel, said the meeting ‘looks more like a public flagellation for Zelensky’ and something that ‘no one expected from the U.S. president.’
Another gleefully added: ‘Historic scandal, diplomatic train wreck, horrifying spectacle, Zelensky’s fail. This is how world media describe the meeting between Donald Trump and the head of the Kyiv regime in the White House.
‘This is news story number one. Nobody has ever seen anything like it. Instead of filing the deal, they got into an enraging verbal brawl. Then Zelensky was shown to the door.’
