British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain is committed to ensuring that Ukraine remains on the "irreversible path" towards NATO membership after US officials said the US appeared to be ruling out the country joining the alliance, PA Media and DPA reported.
The British prime minister made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the opening day of the Munich Security Conference.
So far, Britain has sought to maintain a balance between its support for Kiev in the face of the Russian invasion and efforts to keep US President Donald Trump, who said he had agreed with Vladimir Putin to start talks to end the war, on its side.
Starmer's latest comments, however, contradict Washington's position that Ukraine's NATO membership is not a realistic option.
A spokeswoman for Starmer said: “The prime minister began the conversation by reassuring Ukraine that the UK will support it for as long as necessary“.
“Ukraine has "needs strong security guarantees, further vital aid and a sovereign future, and can count on the UK for support," he added.
“The Prime Minister confirmed London's commitment to ensuring that Ukraine remains on the irreversible path to NATO, as agreed by its allies at a meeting in Washington last year“, he also said in the call.
Starmer's office said the Prime Minister had spoken by phone with Donald Trump and discussed the prospect of a visit by the British Prime Minister to the US.
The two leaders agreed that this was “an important moment to demonstrate international unity and support for Ukraine“ and "agreed to keep in touch," the statement said.
Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on individuals linked to the Russian government, including Pavel Fradkov, a deputy defense minister, and Vladimir Selin, a senior official in the country's defense ministry, Reuters reported.
The Foreign Office said in a statement that it was also sanctioning Artyom Chaika, whose mining company supports state-owned Russian enterprises, as well as two organizations linked to Russian energy giant Rosatom.