Volodymyr Zelensky leader gave particularly keen thanks to the new British foreign secretary as he visited Kyiv on Thursday morning as he lamented “the help of the world” had been divided by events in the Middle East, meaning the focus is no longer on Ukraine.
Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, unexpectedly back on the political front line after he was brought back into government after seven years to serve as Foreign Minister in the struggling Rishi Sunak government made his first foreign trip in post on Thursday, visiting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Before private talks the pair engaged in remarks for the cameras, where Lord Cameron expressed his appreciation for the fighting spirit of the Ukrainians, and Zelensky thanked the British politician for having taken the time to come.
He told Lord Cameron: “…thank you for coming. It’s very important, now you know the world is not focused on this situation or on our battlefield in Ukraine. Dividing focus really doesn’t help… we understand the help of the world can be divided because the crisis in the Middle East and it’s a pity…”.
David Cameron reciprocated by saying he had particularly wanted Ukraine to be his first official trip as Foreign Secretary and said it was symbolic of the UK government wanting to continue to support Ukraine militarily “Not just this year, next year, but however long it takes”.
ODESA, UKRAINE – NOVEMBER 16: Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron and Mayor of Odesa Hennadii Trukhanov stand in Transfiguration Cathedral heavily damaged by Russian missile on November 16, 2023 in Odesa, Ukraine. The UK’s new Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, visits President Zelensky and pledges further military support and the reaffirms the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia. (Photo by Eduard Kryzhanivskyi/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Lord Cameron also remarked on how global attention shifted from Ukraine in the wake of the Hamas terror attack against Israel last month, and said part of his ambitions for the visit was to figure out how to get the spotlight back onto Kyiv. He said: “It’s really important to have this meeting, to hear what you most need, to work out how we can work together, how we can get the communications right with all our friends and allies to make sure the attention is here in Ukraine, and I feel this very personally”.
Zelensky subsequently wrote that they discussed “weapons for the frontline, strengthening air defense, and protecting our people and critical infrastructure” in the talks.
The United Kingdom was one the earliest and has been one of the strongest backers of Ukraine. It supplied anti-tank missiles to the country before the invasion began and later donations of longer-range cruise missiles have been pivotal to major Ukrainian strikes against Russia, including the attack on its Black Seas Fleet headquarters earlier this year.