Ukraine's Zelenskiy to meet Starmer in London, to boost drone partnership

Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Keir Starmer are set to agree on a deeper UK-Ukraine defence partnership focused on joint production of drones and military technology. Mark Rutte is also expected to join talks in London on broader security cooperation and efforts toward lasting peace.

Reuters

March 17, 2026

Ukraine's Zelenskiy to meet Starmer in London, to boost drone partnership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a panel at Paris's Sciences Po university, March 13, 2026.

Abdul Saboor/Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Tuesday to agree a deeper defence and industrial partnership, the British government said.

The two leaders are expected to agree on an expanded declaration aimed at joint production and supply of drones and other military technologies, Downing Street said in a statement.

Britain and Ukraine will also look at opportunities for increased defence industrial and technological cooperation with other countries, the statement added.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is also expected to visit London for talks with Starmer and Zelenskiy on Euro-Atlantic security and efforts to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine, the British government said.

"Drones, electronic warfare and rapid battlefield innovation are now central to national and economic security, and that has only been further magnified by the conflict in the Middle East," Starmer said in the statement.

-Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed and Kate Holton/Reuters