PM and Zelensky discuss UK training of Ukrainian forces

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20nkvjpd78o

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Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in the UK since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed on the "importance of refining" the UK's training of Ukrainian forces to "bolster" the country's defence.

In a call with the Ukrainian president on Monday, the prime minister said Western allies were "united in their determination to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position going into 2025".

It comes after it emerged the Ministry of Defence was considering the possibility of sending British troops to Ukraine to help train its armed forces.

Britain has been training Ukrainian troops in the UK since 2022, while there is also a small team of British Army medics providing training inside Ukraine.

The UK and other Nato members have not sent troops to Ukraine or enforced a no-fly zone over the country, for fear of being pulled into a direct conflict with Russia. However, individual members have supplied arms and equipment.

In their call, Downing Street said the two leaders discussed Operation Interflex, which has seen more than 45,000 Ukrainian personnel trained on British soil since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The pair "agreed on the importance of refining its offer to further bolster Ukraine's ability on the battlefield", a No 10 spokeswoman said.

"What happens in Ukraine in the coming weeks and months matters to Europe and NATO, and it was vital President Putin's ambitions fail in Ukraine, the leaders agreed," she added.

In a post on X, Zelensky said he had thanked Sir Keir and the British people "for their unwavering support that continues to save Ukrainian lives".

The call came after Sir Keir attended a summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force in Estonia, where leaders discussed support for Ukraine.

The defence coalition is made up of the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.

Downing Street said the group "underscored the importance of matching their words with concrete action", including further sanctions on the "shadow fleet" of ships used by Russia to export oil, the acceleration of lethal aid and support for the Ukrainian defence industrial base.