Departing UK defence chief and successor pledge unwavering support as they meet Zelensky
The UK's departing Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin – alongside his successor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton – has met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, with assurances of continued military backing.
"I am proud of the consistent and forward-leaning work of the British Armed Forces to support Ukraine," Adm Radakin said in a post on X. This will continue unabated – Slava Ukraini!"
The Ukrainian government says the discussion ranged from the practicalities of the military situation to ongoing efforts to progress peace talks.
In a post on X following the meeting, President Zelensky said: "We discussed further support for Ukraine, the situation on the frontlines, the needs of our warriors and the deliveries of necessary weapons, funding for Ukrainian drone production and joint projects.
"We also spoke about diplomatic efforts to end the war and achieve a real and lasting peace."
While he expressed his gratitude to the UK during the meeting, Mr Zelensky also pressed for more urgent action, as Russia continues to gain ground in the east of the country.
"We must intensify our work to the maximum and ensure clarity and transparency in everything related to security guarantees," he said.
"That is why we also discussed in detail the efforts of national security advisers on security guarantees for Ukraine and the developments within the Coalition of the Willing.
"I thank the Admiral, the United Kingdom, its government and its people for strengthening us from the very beginning of this war and for consistently standing by our side.
"We are thankful to [Sir] Keir, the Prime Minister, for such deep involvement in this process and with the Coalition of the Willing and for the support."
Adm Radakin assured the Ukrainian president that the UK's military backing for Ukraine would remain consistent under his successor.
"Our support for you and for Ukraine is not personality dependent; it's nation dependent and [Sir Rich Knighton] will continue that level of support in exactly the same way that you would expect," he said.
The UK military currently supports Ukraine in several ways to help it defend its territory against Russian aggression – including ongoing training on Operation Interflex, which has so far helped more than 57,000 Ukrainian personnel hone their battlefield skills.
The government has also committed to £3bn of military aid for Ukraine annually, on top of the £10.8bn already allocated and is working with France to create a Coalition of the Willing to protect any future peace deal.
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