Zelensky meets UK PM Burnham, heads to Washington for Trump talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham before traveling to Washington for discussions with US President Donald Trump.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Zelensky meets UK PM Burnham, heads to Washington for Trump talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held his first meeting with Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, before travelling to Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump. The meeting in Portsmouth came just days after Mr Burnham took office, succeeding Keir Starmer.
Mr Burnham reaffirmed the UK's commitment to Ukraine, announcing new jamming technology to protect Ukrainian drones and pledging to continue leading the 'coalition of the willing' of countries ready to support a future ceasefire. The two leaders visited a naval base where British personnel are training Ukrainian forces.
President Zelensky's visit to the UK and the US comes at a turbulent time for his own government. In the days before Mr Burnham became prime minister, Mr Zelensky sacked his popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who had been in post for only six months. The dismissal triggered rare public protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, with demonstrators accusing the president of making a mistake.
Mr Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech entrepreneur, was credited with transforming Ukraine's drone warfare and pushing for military innovation. He had clashed openly with the army's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, a 60-year-old general from the Soviet era. President Zelensky said the two men could not work together and he had to choose. Initially he sided with the general, but after a week of protests he reversed course, sacking General Syrskyi and replacing him with a younger commander, Mykhailo Drapatyi, who is seen as an ally of Mr Fedorov.
The protests have subsided but Mr Fedorov has not yet been reinstated as defence minister. President Zelensky has offered him another role in government, but his response is not known.
Meanwhile, the war with Russia continues. Ukraine has been launching long-range drone strikes deep into Russian territory, targeting oil refineries and logistics centres. Russia has intensified its own missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, and on energy infrastructure. The UN has warned that Russian strikes on agricultural infrastructure are threatening global food supplies.
President Zelensky's visit to Washington includes attending the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died recently. He is also due to meet President Trump and address US senators about a sanctions bill against Russia. The meeting with Mr Trump is their fifth, and follows a tense exchange in the Oval Office earlier this year. Mr Zelensky has said he needs more air defence systems, particularly Patriot missiles, to protect against Russian ballistic missiles.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fedorov clashed with military chief Alexander Siersky over blocked initiatives. | · | · | |||||
| President Zelensky sacked defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov after six months, leading to domestic criticism and protests. | · | · | |||||
| Zelensky dismissed the commander-in-chief following mass protests over the defence minister's dismissal. | · | · | |||||
| Protests erupted in Ukrainian cities after the dismissal of defence minister Fedorov. | · | · | · | ||||
| Russian forces launched ballistic missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, including Kyiv, causing multiple casualties. | · | · | · | ||||
| The new commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi is a friend of the ousted defence minister Fedorov. | · | · | · | ||||
| UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Ukraine on his last international trip, meeting President Zelensky and reaffirming UK support. | · | · | · | ||||
| Zelensky offered Fedorov a position back in government, but his response is unknown. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Fedorov described Drapatyi's appointment as a 'breath of fresh air'. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Keir Starmer was awarded Ukraine's Order of Freedom during his visit. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The deputy head of Ukraine's Air Force and two key defence ministry advisors resigned in protest. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| UK Prime Minister Starmer announced over 250 million pounds of fresh funding. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News provided extensive coverage of the political crisis in Ukraine, focusing on the sacking of defence minister Fedorov and the subsequent protests, as well as the later sacking of military chief Syrskyi. It also covered Starmer's final visit and the transition to Burnham, with a neutral, factual tone. The channel included analysis from correspondents and experts, and gave significant airtime to the protests and the generational conflict within Ukraine's military.
- “Young Ukrainians are furious at the sacking of a man they credit with helping to turn the tide of the war.”
- “To be honest, the president is not supposed to pick sides in this kind of situation during wartime. I would very much like unity. The two sides did not find it.”
- “We're providing new homegrown jamming technology to protect Ukrainian drones. It will help them to hit their targets and help save Ukrainian lives.”
Sky News focused heavily on Keir Starmer's final visit to Ukraine as prime minister, framing it as a legacy-building trip. The channel also provided detailed military analysis of the war, including drone strikes and ballistic missile threats, and covered the sacking of Fedorov and Syrskyi with a focus on the generational clash. It included interviews with analysts and correspondents, and gave a broader context of the war's impact on energy and shipping.
- “I think it's a very active choice for him to choose to end his last week in the job in Kyiv. That is, I think, what he would like part, at least, of his legacy to be.”
- “The Russians seem to have three main priorities at the moment, one of which is to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, trying to disable their defence industrial base.”
- “It's a turnaround in military thinking, but it is also, it's a turnaround in something much bigger because they'll have to redo the whole of the military machinery in the middle of fighting a war.”
BBC ONE West provided regional coverage of the story, with a focus on the local angle of the UK's support for Ukraine. It reported on Starmer's visit and the protests, but also included segments on local government and other regional news. The tone was straightforward, with less in-depth analysis compared to the national BBC News channel.
- “This is clearly about legacy for Sir Keir Starmer. He wants to be remembered as a Prime Minister who did as much as possible to stand by Ukraine.”
- “The Kyiv square echoing to the sound of the ousted ministers name shame shame they chant”
- “We have an advantage right now in terms of like deep strikes in terms of unmanned systems And I feel that the person responsible for that is father it”
ITV1 covered the story with a focus on the political drama in Ukraine, particularly the sacking of Fedorov and the protests. It also reported on Starmer's final visit and the transition to Burnham. The channel included a segment on a local volunteer group driving vehicles to Ukraine, highlighting grassroots support. The tone was balanced, with some analysis of the risks of Zelensky's decision.
- “Your fight is our fight. Your security is our security. And the United Kingdom will not waver.”
- “We're shocked, says this protester. It's completely unacceptable.”
- “Given how popular Fedorov is and how much popular support he has within the Ukrainian population, I think it's quite a risky decision.”
Channel 4 News provided a detailed, on-the-ground report from Ukraine, including exclusive access to a long-range drone unit. The channel emphasised the technological aspect of the war and the importance of Fedorov's drone strategy. It also covered the political crisis and the protests, with a critical tone towards Zelensky's decision. The report included interviews with opposition politicians and drone operators.
- “Long-range Ukrainian drones headed for Russia while back in Kyiv a political crisis as the man behind the strategy is sacked”
- “The sacked minister was responsible for as they fired deep into Russia The weapons have changed the dynamics of the war”
- “I think this was a mistake by President Zelensky I rarely criticize him But right now I think this is something that we as a country at war Cannot afford”
GB News focused on the domestic UK political angle, particularly Keir Starmer's farewell tour and the transition to Andy Burnham. The channel's coverage was more opinionated, with a panel discussion critiquing Starmer's legacy and speculating about his future. It gave less attention to the details of the Ukraine crisis itself, instead using the visit as a backdrop for UK political commentary.
- “But critics have argued this is effectively a taxpayer-funded job interview for Sir Keir Starmer as he seeks to charm international elites in the hope maybe of securing employment in a cushy new role after life in number 10.”
- “I think he's relaxed quite a lot. He's giving interviews now where you see more of Keir Starmer obviously behind the scenes and maybe he's a better person for it.”
- “I happen to think he didn't do the job well, but that's coming from my political angle.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.