Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer is a British politician and barrister who has led the Labour Party since 2020. He became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in July 2024 after Labour's general election victory. Before entering frontline politics he served as Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales.
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Zelensky: Russia struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure 76 times since Trump's 'energy ceasefire' announcement
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on October 18 that Russia has deliberately attacked Ukrainian energy and oil-and-gas infrastructure 76 times since U.S. President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" on October 11. Overnight strikes on substations in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa oblasts left tens of thousands of households without electricity, and Zelensky said the weekly strike tally included nearly 2,700 drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 66 missiles, most of them ballistic.
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Coalition of the Willing to rehearse Ukraine peacekeeping in Poland in November
Military exercises of the "Coalition of the Willing" will take place in Poland in November, rehearsing the deployment of European troops in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia. British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced the drills after his first meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on 15 October. At least 1,500 personnel from the UK, France and Germany will take part, alongside Polish forces.
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France's foreign minister says Europe now supplies two-thirds of Ukraine's intelligence
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a France Inter interview on 15 October that two-thirds of the intelligence currently received by Ukraine comes from European countries, including France. His comments come amid uncertainty over US intelligence sharing following reported threats from Washington to halt it if Kyiv continues striking Russian energy infrastructure. Barrot said Europe has long shouldered the main share of support to Ukraine and accused the Kremlin of using social media to spread demoralisation. He did not directly confirm or deny that Washington had reduced intelligence sharing.
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UK to speed LMM missile deliveries to Ukraine during Zelensky's London visit
During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to London on 14 October, the British government announced it would accelerate deliveries of Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) to Ukraine to counter Russian jet-powered drones, including a £45 million air-defence missile package with £10 million in deliveries expedited ahead of winter. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, cited in Ukrainian coverage as 'Енді Бернем' / 'Andy Burnham', instructed ministers to prepare additional sanctions and military and financial aid packages in coming weeks and said the UK is fully implementing a ban on maritime services for Russian LNG.
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SpaceX throttles military Starlink terminals in Ukraine without warning, disrupting drone operations
In the night of October 13–14, SpaceX unilaterally restricted the speed of Starshield — the military package of Starlink satellite terminals — used by Ukraine's Defense Forces, without prior notice. The cap of roughly 100 mph (160 km/h), later reported to have been tightened to 60–70 km/h in some units, disrupted drone operations on the Huliaipole direction, hampered the use of interceptor drones against Russian Shaheds, and forced the cancellation of several missions. President Zelensky called the move a "big mistake," presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said it was linked to the political situation, and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly accused Elon Musk of politicizing his products.
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Kremlin endorses Trump's call for new Ukrainian president; European leaders rally behind Zelensky
The Kremlin publicly backed US President Donald Trump's statement that Ukraine should elect a new leader, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov citing Volodymyr Zelensky's alleged unwillingness to make difficult decisions to end the war. Zelensky responded by offering to hold elections if Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire and said Ukraine will defend itself against Russian aggression regardless of American pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Foreign Minister and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly expressed solidarity with Zelensky ahead of the 12 October EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said wartime elections are constitutionally barred and that international pressure should be directed at Russia.
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UK's Starmer and Zelensky agree to meet after phone call on sanctions and air defense
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed during a phone call to hold a bilateral meeting in the coming days. The call covered continued UK sanctions on Russia, Ukraine's need for air defense, and a joint demand for an immediate energy ceasefire. It came against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's public call for Ukraine to change its leadership and a reported US–Russian agreement on Russian diesel fuel supplies.
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Zelensky meets Japanese PM Takaichi in New York, invites her to Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York. Zelensky thanked Japan for its ongoing support during Russia's war and invited Takaichi to visit Kyiv and the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which Japan helped restore after a Russian drone strike.
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Zelensky and Trump meet in New York: energy ceasefire, Patriot production and a push to end the war before winter
On September 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. Zelensky proposed a mutual energy ceasefire, raised licensing of Patriot interceptor missile production in Ukraine, and said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin with Trump's help. Trump said the war will end "sooner than people realize" and warned he is ready to use the newly-signed "Graham law" sanctions against Russia.
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At virtual Ramstein meeting, Germany announces Patriot interceptors and 'City Dome' shield for Ukraine
At the 36th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on 8 September, held virtually, Germany announced the urgent transfer of PAC-2 Patriot interceptors and additional AIM-9 missiles from Bundeswehr stocks, launched the 'City Dome' project to shield Ukrainian cities from drone and missile strikes, and committed to financing tens of thousands of long-range artillery shells. The UK pledged £100 million through PURL for air defense, the EU approved financing for 3.2 billion euros of Patriot missiles, and Ukraine outlined plans to contract around 1,000 Patriot missiles and several thousand additional IRIS-T missiles with partner support. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said civilian deaths in Ukraine are at their highest since May 2022 and warned that delays cost lives.