Zelenskyy says he discussed security guarantees with Starmer

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he had a detailed discussion of possible security guarantees for Ukraine during a "productive meeting" with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"We also discussed in considerable detail the security guarantees that can make peace truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killings and engage in genuine, substantive diplomacy," he said on X.

Zelenskyy added that the leaders also touched on investment in Ukrainian drone production.

Zelenskyy, who was in Germany on Wednesday, has been working with European leaders to press Trump not to allow Putin to carve up Ukraine's territory at the Alaska summit.

On Wednesday, Trump joined a Germany-hosted virtual meeting with European leaders, including Zelenskyy, who sought to set red lines ahead of the summit on ending the war in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he warned Trump that the Russian leader was "bluffing" about his desire to end the war.

Trump later threatened "severe consequences" if Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine and while he did not specify what the consequences could be, he has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting on Friday proves fruitless.

The comments and the outcome of the virtual conference on Wednesday could provide encouragement for Kyiv ahead of the summit.

Trump described the aim of his talks with Putin in Alaska as "setting the table" for a quick follow-up that would include Zelenskyy.

"If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one," Trump said. "I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they'd like to have me there."

Britain, France and Germany, the co-chairs of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing", set out their position on the pathway to a ceasefire in Ukraine in a statement released after Wednesday's virtual meeting.