UK PM Starmer Vows Strong Support for Ukraine, Says No Plan to Speak With Putin

London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that he has no plan to speak with Russian President Vlimir Putin as he pledged support for Ukraine as UK's top priority at this week's G20 Summit.

Speaking with reporters on way to meeting in Brazil, Starmer said he wouldn't speak to Putin as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did on Friday.

call between two leers, which Kremlin said was initiated by Germany, was first publicly announced conversation between Putin and a major he of a Western power in almost two years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised call and said it would only make Russia less isolated.

Ukraine's allies fear that election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has questioned US aid sent to Kyiv and spoken favourably about Putin, could alter support from Washington, its biggest backer.

Starmer said allies have to double down now to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

"We are coming up to 1,000th day of this conflict on Tuesday," Starmer said. "That's 1,000 days of Russian aggression, 1,000 days of huge impact and sacrifice in relation to Ukrainian people and recently we've seen dition of North Korean troops working with Russians which does have serious implications." UK has committed 12.8 billion pounds (USD 16.15 billion) in aid to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

(Except heline, this story is not edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed)