British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet Sunday evening with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to coordinate continued assistance for Ukraine.
Britain, France and Germany – known as the E3 European alliance – have served as major supporters of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Britain and France are spearheading the “coalition of the willing” effort aimed at providing security assurances for Ukraine during any future peace negotiations.
Sunday’s gathering follows a major Ukrainian drone assault that struck Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, demonstrating Kyiv’s expanding capability to launch attacks far into Russian territory. Gov. Alexander Beglov reported that three individuals suffered minor injuries during Saturday’s strike, which prompted authorities to urge residents to remain inside their homes.
As the battle lines remain largely static while drone swarms prevent territorial gains, both nations have attempted to gain advantages through long-distance attacks. The conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of its neighboring country has now stretched beyond four years with no resolution in sight.
The Saint Petersburg strike, occurring fewer than 24 hours after the conclusion of the city’s premier economic forum, delivered an embarrassing setback to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempts to portray the war as a remote conflict that doesn’t impact ordinary Russian citizens.
Putin on Friday dismissed Zelenskyy’s proposal for a meeting, stating he sees “no point” in such discussions.
In related developments, a Russian strike Sunday claimed three lives and injured one person as they waited for transportation in Balabyne in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, according to regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov, who posted the information on his Telegram channel.
