Warm welcome for President Zelensky in London
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Why was President Zelensky warmly welcomed in London?
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Jackie Leonard, and in the early hours of Sunday, the 2nd of March, these are our main stories. A warm welcome for the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London after the angry clash with Donald Trump at the White House on Friday. The NATO Secretary General Mark Rutter, meanwhile, says he's sure the US is committed to peace in Ukraine. And after decades of armed struggle, the Kurdish separatist group PKK has declared a ceasefire. Also in this podcast, tens of thousands of Romanians have marched in support of a far-right politician whose presidential election victory last year was annulled.
It's a great sea of Romanian flags. They've marched through the centre of Bucharest to Piazza Vittoria in front of the Romanian government building.
And the father of Namibia's independence is laid to rest. Smiles, cheers, waving and a prime ministerial hug. A warm welcome for President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street on Saturday evening. The mood in sharp contrast with the anger seen during his encounter with Donald Trump and J.D. Vance at the White House on Friday when he was berated for seeming insufficiently grateful for U.S. help as he deals with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On Sunday, Mr Zelensky is due to meet King Charles. There will also be a meeting of European leaders and the Canadian Prime Minister. But first, a chat with Keir Starmer in Number 10. Mr Zelensky spoke of the welcome he had received and thanked the Prime Minister and Britain.
I saw a lot of people, and I want to thank you, people of the United Kingdom, such big support from the very beginning of this war. Thank you, your team. And I'm very happy that His Majesty the King accepted my meeting tomorrow, and I'm thankful that you organized such a summit for tomorrow. And we are very happy in Ukraine that we have such strategic partners.
What is the significance of the NATO Secretary General's statement on Ukraine?
It's understood that Britain and Ukraine have agreed a loan of around $2.8 billion to support Kiev's defence capabilities. Our correspondent Joe Pike spoke to us from outside No. 10 Downing Street.
Sir Keir Starmer didn't just wait at the step of No. 10, as some prime ministers do, for President Zelensky to get out of his range rover and walk up the street. Instead, he walked down to him and the two leaders embraced. I think the UK prime minister certainly wanted to demonstrate his... The warmth that he feels towards President Zelensky and his country, projecting the UK's unstinting support, as he said, for Ukraine. Of course, journalists here from across the world are throwing questions at largely President Zelensky, not Sir Keir Starmer, including, you know, can your relationship be better? repaired with Donald Trump and is a deal possible in Ukrainian peace? Now, President Zelensky did not answer that. The two men went inside and we've seen a little bit and heard a little bit of the start of their meeting, which was filmed by broadcasters. Interesting that they both talked about... Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer talking about his and the UK's support for Ukraine, and Vladimir Zelensky being very appreciative of that.
But no one, of course, in the room mentioned somebody who, of course, isn't here, and that's Donald Trump. In the public part of that meeting, of course, they're going into a private discussion, and I suppose try and game what the next steps should be, especially with this all-important summit of European leaders taking place in central London, hosted by Sir Keir Starmer, will also attend.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
Why was President Zelensky warmly welcomed in London?
0:36–2:51
2
What is the significance of the NATO Secretary General's statement on Ukraine?
2:51–10:40
3
What is the current status of the Kurdish PKK ceasefire?
10:40–12:33
4
How does the Kurdish ceasefire affect Turkey's political landscape?
12:33
5
What role does Abdullah Öcalan play in the Kurdish peace process?
11:49–27:23
Speakers
16 identifiedMore from Global News Podcast
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