Zelenskyy arrives at Downing Street as Burnham reaffirms UK support for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is arriving at Downing Street, the London office and residence of the British prime minister, to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Burnham is expected to reaffirm the United Kingdom's support for Ukraine. The visit comes after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached a deal on diesel, raising the question of whether the balance of the war is shifting.

A balancing act between Kyiv and Washington

In an episode of a Politico Europe podcast, hosts Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy examine the prime minister's delicate position. They ask whether the UK can still make a difference in Ukraine without putting its relationship with the United States at risk. Questions are also mounting over how long Washington will remain committed to Ukraine.

Domestic politics

The episode also covers British domestic politics. It considers whether the government has headed off a rebellion by its own MPs over the Courts Bill, and whether its plan to build its way out of the prison crisis is already unravelling.

With the budget approaching, economic critic Lord Jim O'Neill is due to appear before the Treasury Select Committee, the parliamentary committee that scrutinises the finance ministry. The hosts ask whether his intervention could create more headaches for John Healey.

The source does not describe the content of the talks, so it is not known what Burnham and Zelenskyy agreed.