The comments made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 16 July 2026.
Today, we express our special gratitude to Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with whom we’ve done a lot of serious work during the full-scale war. The United Kingdom has always stood with Ukraine and continues to do so. And we value that immensely. Thank you, Keir Starmer.
Thank you to your team and to all the people of the United Kingdom. I awarded Keir the Order of Freedom in recognition of his personal leadership and support for our people. Prime Minister Starmer and I have had dozens of meetings, conversations, and decisions together. Today marks Keir’s fourth visit to Ukraine as Prime Minister. Altogether, we’ve had 46 official meetings and calls alone – at least two every month. I am grateful for all the support provided to Ukraine during this time. Today, Keir and I discussed the key issues regarding the front line, our long-range operations, and our mid-range strikes. Ukraine has achieved significant success in these areas, and we will continue applying every form of such pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end and achieve a dignified peace. We will, of course, continue coordinating closely with our British friends.

