Burak Bir
28 January 2026•Update: 28 January 2026
LONDON
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed recent peace talks in Abu Dhabi and agreed on the need for a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine.
In a phone call on Tuesday, Starmer expressed his support for Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people, and also discussed the "desperate situations" many families face, including no heating or electricity, during freezing winter temperatures, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy welcomed the UK’s announcement of £20 million ($27.5 million) in support for energy infrastructure earlier this month.
"The leaders discussed the progress made during recent peace talks in Abu Dhabi and agreed on the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," the statement said.
Russia and Ukraine held two days of consultations on Jan. 23-24 in Abu Dhabi, with US mediation, aiming to end the Ukraine war, which began in February 2022. The US administration has described the talks as “constructive.”
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the next round of US-mediated peace talks is planned for next week, again in Abu Dhabi.
Starmer said the UK would continue to work closely with international partners to support Ukraine’s security, and also updated Zelenskyy on his upcoming visits to China and Japan.
