Zelensky arrives in UK to sign drone deal
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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London on March 17 for high-level meetings with British leaders and to sign a defense deal with the U.K.
Zelensky will first meet King Charles III at Buckingham Palace before holding talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov told the media.
The Ukrainian leader and Starmer are expected to sign a deal on cooperation in drone technology and other capabilities, Downing Street said.
"Our priorities are clear — more security and opportunities for Ukraine," Zelensky said on X upon arrival.
The visit comes weeks after the British prime minister invited Ukrainian experts to help counter Iranian drones amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
The new conflict erupted after the U.S. and Israel carried out combined attacks against Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran responded by launching waves of missiles and drones against targets across the region, including at a British military base in Cyprus.
In London today. The agenda includes an audience with His Majesty King Charles III, meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as well as an address to the British Parliament. Our priorities are clear – more security and opportunities for… pic.twitter.com/JuyLH02MCH
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 17, 2026
Speaking before the meeting, U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said it was "increasingly important that we build on Ukrainian expertise and innovation."
Ukraine, facing Russian attacks by hundreds of Iranian-designed Shahed drones on a regular basis, has dispatched its experts and interceptor drones to the Middle East to help counter Iran's attacks.
As part of the visit, Zelensky will also address the British Parliament and hold a three-way meeting with Starmer and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The U.K. has been a key ally of Ukraine during Russia's full-scale war and a leading player in the Coalition of the Willing, a group of over 30 countries aiming to provide Kyiv with post-war security guarantees.
Zelensky is visiting London less than a week after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and the Romanian leadership in Bucharest, a series of visits designed to bolster cooperation with European allies amid the war.
