Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Reform UK-led councils to reverse their decision to remove Ukrainian flags from civic buildings, warning that a “small mistake can break a big friendship”. In a Guardian interview following talks with Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz in London, the Ukrainian president said he hoped the councils would “put it back”.
Some Reform-run councils had taken down the flags hoisted since Russia’s 2022 invasion, choosing to fly only local and union flags. Zelenskyy, who stressed he did not want to be “involved in any political things”, said: “The world is so sensitive today. Sometimes little, small mistakes can break big friendship or huge contacts. I think people have to not make mistakes, not to do anything which can break a friendship, and even if people do it: ‘OK, so you did it, please let’s come back to the table, let’s speak, let’s understand each other.’”
“Zelenskyy tells Reform UK councils to reinstate Ukrainian flags, warning 'small mistake can break a big friendship'.”
The remarks came during a visit in which Zelenskyy sought to reassure Britons that continued support for Ukraine was in their national interest. “British people helped us from the very beginning of this war, it’s true,” he said. “It’s because of security, not only values … But it’s about security in Europe. It’s in the interests of the UK.” The UK has spent more than £20bn on military, humanitarian and economic assistance since 2022.
Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine’s military position was the strongest it had been for more than two years. “Russia is not winning,” he insisted. He also disclosed that he pressed Starmer over funds from Roman Abramovich’s £2.4bn sale of Chelsea FC, which the government has earmarked for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine, and that he wanted the UK to align with Europe on sanctions.
In a separate Sky News interview, Zelenskyy revealed that Abramovich has acted as a go-between for Kyiv and Moscow on peace talks. The former Chelsea owner met him in Kyiv with a message from Russia and offered to take a reply directly to Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy said: “He wanted to give me the message that they are ready to, that they want to understand what we are ready to do … I said the question is not about us. You are fighting against us on our territory.”
Later, Zelenskyy met King Charles at Buckingham Palace and said he plans to invite the monarch for a state visit to Ukraine as early as this year, after Charles’s public show of support following personal attacks by Donald Trump at the White House last year.