Accessibility links

Breaking News

Zelenskiy Looks To New U.K. PM To Continue Level Of Support Offered To Ukraine


Then-British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss speaks during a joint news conference with her Ukrainian counterpart at the British Embassy in Warsaw on April 4.
Then-British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss speaks during a joint news conference with her Ukrainian counterpart at the British Embassy in Warsaw on April 4.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he hopes Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, will continue her predecessor's staunch support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia's unprovoked invasion.

Truss, who served as foreign minister under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was confirmed on September 5 as Britain's new prime minister.

Zelenskiy said he was "looking forward to the start of cooperation" with the 47-year-old Truss, who won a vote within the governing Conservative Party, defeating former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak.

"I believe that together we will be able to do much more for the defense of our nations and the failure of all destructive Russian efforts," Zelenskiy said in his nightly address.

"We in Ukraine know her well -- she has always been on the enlightened side of European politics," he said, adding that "the main thing is to preserve our unity."

Britain sent military hardware, funding, and training resources to back Kyiv's forces under Johnson, who stepped down after months of scandal that saw support for his administration drain away.

Truss becomes the third female prime minister of the country after Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher.

She inherits an economy heading into a potentially lengthy recession and a cost-of-living crisis enveloping the country.

Truss has vowed a Thatcherite zeal to roll back state intervention and slash taxes. She also has promised to act "immediately" to tackle soaring energy bills.

The Kremlin has already said it saw little hope of positive coming from the appointment.

"I don't think we can hope for anything positive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on September 5.

France, meanwhile, said it hopes Truss can jump-start relations between the two countries.

"Let's hope it is a new start," Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told RTL radio on September 5 when asked about bilateral prospects if Truss won the vote.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
  • 16x9 Image

    RFE/RL

    RFE/RL journalists report the news in 27 languages in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG