British Prime Minister holds phone talks with Ukrainian President and European Commission President on bilateral relations

London, July 20 (KUNA) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held two phone calls on Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations and enhance cooperation between the United Kingdom and both the European Union and Ukraine. The British government said in a statement that Starmer expressed his aspiration to build “ambitious relations with the European side,” emphasizing that this is of great importance to both the UK and Europe. The two sides agreed to work together to organize a summit between the United Kingdom and the European Union later this year, with Starmer expressing his hope to collaborate with the Commission President and her team to achieve results. In a separate call, Starmer discussed with President Zelenskyy ways to strengthen cooperation in confronting Russia’s war against Ukraine. The British government stated that Starmer reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting the Ukrainian people. He also stressed, according to the statement, that the UK’s position on the Russian war against Ukraine remains firm despite the change in leadership in the United Kingdom. The statement noted that the British prime minister invited Zelenskyy to visit the UK at the earliest opportunity to discuss military relations between the two countries. (End)