UK, France call for long-range arms for Ukraine as Zelensky warns of 'humanitarian disaster'
Editor's note: The story was updated with the latest details.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders are meeting in London on Oct. 24 for a summit of the "Coalition of the Willing," a European-led initiative launched by the U.K. and France.
The coalition, formed earlier this year, aims to establish long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, potentially including the deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force once the war ends.
The London gathering is meant to focus on how allied nations "can further strengthen Ukraine's hand and cripple Russia's ability to continue to wage war," the British government said.
The allies reaffirmed their support for Ukraine as it continues to face off against Russian aggression, with Paris pledging new missiles and aircraft in the coming days.
Upon arrival in London, Zelensky met with King Charles III and inspected the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards before being received inside Windsor Castle.
Zelensky then met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks at 10 Downing Street. During the bilateral meeting, the president warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing Ukraine into a "humanitarian disaster."
Starmer, in turn, reaffirmed the U.K.'s support for Kyiv and urged more decisive steps in its support, including the supply of long-range weapons.
The two then joined a broader meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and other officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who joined the meeting virtually, reiterated the coalition's readiness to deploy a "reassurance force" to Ukraine after the war.
The French president announced that his country would provide Ukraine with "additional Aster missiles, new training programs, and new Mirage" planes in the coming days, without providing further details.
The Aster is a surface-to-air missile used in the SAMP/T air defenses. France has previously supplied the air defense system to Ukraine, as well as several Mirage 2000 fighter jets.
Le Monde reported that France has so far delivered three out of the six initially pledged Mirages. One plane crashed in July due to "failure of aviation equipment," the Ukrainian Air Force said.
"We need to continue to step up our military support to Ukraine — air defense capacities, long-range capabilities, drones, and anti-drone systems," Macron said.
France and the U.K. have previously provided Ukraine with SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles, most recently used to strike a Russian chemical plant in Bryansk on Oct. 21.
The Ukrainian president's visit follows a tense Oct. 17 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which Kyiv failed to secure a deal for the acquisition of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The White House has since canceled Trump's planned summit with Putin in Budapest and announced new sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, which analysts view as a sign of Washington's readiness to pressure Moscow.
Speaking at the London summit, Zelensky said Ukraine and its partners are not seeking ways to end the war without the U.S. involvement, warning against Putin's attempt to divide the allies.
A source in the Presidential Office earlier told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv hopes the talks will prioritize energy cooperation and weapons supplies, particularly as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
Macron previously said that 25 countries are prepared to send troops or provide other forms of support as part of the coalition's framework, though European and Ukrainian officials have expressed doubts about the plan's feasibility and timing.
The London summit comes a day after Zelensky attended a European Council meeting in Brussels, where EU leaders discussed further sanctions against Russia and the use of immobilized Russian assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction.
His visit to Brussels followed a stop in Sweden on Oct. 22, part of a broader tour aimed at securing ongoing international backing as Ukraine braces for renewed Russian strikes on its power grid.
