Zelensky, Sunak discuss defence support for Ukraine

In a phone call, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed "multifaceted defence support" for Kiev.

In a social media post, Zelensky said that during the call on Thursday, "we talked about assistance in enduring the winter period".

The President said that he and Sunak also spoke in favour of the continuation of the "grain deal" and agreed positions on important international events.

On his part, the British Prime Minister in a tweet confirmed that "we will send a further 1,000 surface-to-air missiles and more than 25,000 extreme cold winter kits".

The Downing Street later issued a statement in which it said that the two leaders agreed that "any Russian withdrawal from the occupied city of Kherson would demonstrate strong progress for the Ukrainian forces and reinforce the weakness of Russia's military offensive, but it was right to continue to exercise caution until the Ukrainian flag was raised over the city".

"Zelensky also set out how UK military support is protecting vital energy infrastructure and helping Ukrainian troops to make advances on the battlefield against Putin's unjustified invasion," the statement said.

The two leaders also agreed that "Russia must be held to account for its actions and prevented from blocking vital supplies of Ukrainian grain and fertiliser reaching global markets".