Ukraine’s Zelensky to brief UK’s new cabinet on war developments

Downing Street announced Thursday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the UK’s new Cabinet on Friday about the battlefield situation in the war with Russia.

Zelensky will be the first formal visitor to Downing Street since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister on July 5, as well as the first foreign leader to address Cabinet in person since US President Bill Clinton in 1997.

Starmer’s Downing Street office said Zelensky would warn ministers in the unprecedented meeting on the need for leaders across the continent to “boost up Europe’s

Downing Street said Britain was spearheading action to disrupt Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which London says is enabling Moscow to evade international sanctions.

The shadow fleet is made up of around 600 vessels and carries approximately 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, generating significant funds for Moscow under President Vladimir Putin.

The vessels are often old and engage in “dangerous and deceptive shipping practices, such as turning off location tracking systems”, said London.

Downing Street stated that during the European Political Community conference on Thursday, 44 European countries and the European Union decided “to work together to tackle the use of illegitimate vessels, which also pose significant security and environmental threats to European waterways.”

Along with our European colleagues, we have delivered a strong message to those assisting Putin’s attempts to dodge sanctions: we will not allow Russia’s shadow fleet, and the dirty money it generates, to freely pass through European seas, endangering our security,” added Starmer.

Zelensky attended the EPC summit at Blenheim Palace near Oxford in southern England, where he urged Europe to remain unified in its support for Ukraine’s battle against Russia.