Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky endured quite the weekend, from an unqualified disaster at the White House to an emotional welcome at Downing Street.

These were always going to be a fateful few days for his country, but Friday’s Oval Office meltdown injected an element of desperately unwanted drama.

However, at the beginning of another big week, the peace process that appeared to have been blown to smithereens now looks like it may have another chance.

Western allies gathered yesterday at Lancaster House to discuss a bold new approach to security in Europe.

They were responding to the unprecedented shift in the transatlantic alliance that has played out since Donald Trump returned as US President a month and a half ago.

Here are the main things to know from Zelensky’s trip to the UK.

A coalition of the willing

In an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg ahead of the summit, Sir Keir announced that Europe would come up with a plan for peace in Ukraine and then put it to the US.

The UK and France would take the lead, in what appeared to be a stark reflection of the fact the US is no longer particularly interested in getting involved with matters of European security.

Even more eye-opening was the guest list at Lancaster House on Sunday: an array of European leaders including Turkey, plus Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. It looked a lot like Nato, minus the US.

Sir Keir said: ‘The UK and France are the most advanced in the thinking on this.

‘That’s what President Macron and I are going to be working on this plan, which we’ll then discuss with the US. That is a step in the right direction.’

He suggested one or two other countries might join the Brits and the French in leading the effort – what he described as a ‘coalition of the willing’.

More money to keep Ukraine in the fight

Sir Keir Starmer’s big announcement at a press conference after the meeting yesterday was a new deal which allows Ukraine to use £1.6 billion of UK export finance to buy 5,000 more air defence missiles.

The prime minister said the weapons ‘will be made in Belfast, creating jobs in our brilliant defence sector’.

He added: ‘This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthen Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past.’

On Saturday, Rachel Reeves and Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko also signed a £2.26 billion bilateral loan agreement.

Zelensky ‘exchangeable for Nato’ and ‘ready for deal’

Before heading home from the UK, President Zelensky spoke to reporters at Stansted Airport.

Asked whether he would be prepared to step down if it meant Ukraine could join Nato, he said: ‘I am exchangeable for Nato.’

The President said Nato membership for Ukraine would mean ‘I have fulfilled my mission’, though he also hinted he could stand in a future election.

A deal with the US centring on Ukrainian mineral reserves is still on the table, he suggested, saying through a translator: ‘If we agreed to sign the minerals deal, we’re ready to sign it.’

Trump previously accused Zelensky of not being ‘ready for peace’.

Royal visit

After wrapping things up at Lancaster House, Zelensky flew north to Sandringham by helicopter for a reception with the King.

The pair were pictured shaking hands outside the door to the monarch’s Norfolk residence, and the Ukrainian leader later described it as a ‘very good meeting’.

He told reporters: ‘[The King has] met our warriors here, being trained in the UK, and we’re very thankful to the Royal Family for their support.’

It’s hard to ignore the optics of Zelensky meeting the King before Donald Trump, who was offered a state visit during Sir Keir’s trip to Washington on Thursday.

However, the brief reception yesterday was very far from a full-scale formal state visit.

PM defiant on state visit offer

Speaking of which – questions over that offer (which was quickly accepted by the President on Thursday) have been circulating since Trump’s dust-up with Zelensky.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said it should only go ahead if the US commits to providing full support for Ukraine.

The King’s letter suggested meeting at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire or Dumfries House in East Ayrshire.

Swinney told the Sunday Mail: ‘If the US withdraws support from Ukraine, abandoning an ally and betraying democracy, the state visit cannot go ahead. That is simply unimaginable.’

Asked why the unprecedented offer was made, Sir Keir told the BBC: ‘The central, most important thing, what drives me is – “is what I’m saying and doing more likely to bring about a peace, a lasting peace?”

‘If the answer is yes, I’ll do it. If the answer is no, I won’t do it.

‘I’ve seen people ramping up on rhetoric and taking to Twitter and saying what they would do. Good for them.

‘I’m not that interested in that. I’m interested in, what are the practical steps? What are the bridge building that I can do? What are the relationships that I can mend and take forward to take us to lasting peace in Europe and in the end, that’s my central concern.’

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