Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said the £2.26 billion ($2.84 billion) loan from the UK would be used to manufacture weapons in Ukraine.
The loan agreement was signed by UK chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukraine’s finance minister Sergii Marchenko, with the first tranche expected next week.
Britain said the loan to Kyiv would be funded by profits from frozen Russian assets as part of a $50 billion support package pledged by the G-7 nations.
Zelensky thanked the UK government for its ongoing support since the war’s start.
“The funds will be directed toward weapons production in Ukraine,” Zelensky said on X, adding, “I thank the people and government of the United Kingdom for their tremendous support from the very beginning of this war.”
Zelensky met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Saturday, following a verbal clash with US President Donald Trump over Ukraine’s handling of US support.
The meeting, which was rescheduled after Zelensky’s visit to Washington, comes amid tensions between the Ukrainian president and US leaders, including criticism from Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Zelensky had been set to sign a deal on mineral resources but left Washington without finalising the agreement.
The Ukrainian President will meet with King Charles III on Sunday before attending a meeting at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace.
Starmer spoke to both US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday evening following his meeting with Zelensky, according to the prime minister’s office.
Earlier, when Zelensky arrived outside 10 Downing Street, a firm hug marked his meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He was cheered by the crowd outside.
“And as you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom,” Starmer told Zelensky.
“We stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take,” he added.
With AP, AFP inputs
