**UK Leaders Support Ukraine’s President**
The UK government has backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after he was called a “dictator” by former US President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke with Zelensky on the phone and said it was reasonable to suspend elections during wartime, just like the UK did during World War II. Sir Keir also expressed support for Zelensky as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader.
This comes after Trump made comments criticizing Zelensky, saying he had done a “terrible job” and claiming he refused to hold elections in Ukraine. However, Zelensky has said that Trump was living in a “disinformation space” and that the US president was wrong about Ukraine starting the war.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also defended Zelensky, saying he was the democratically elected leader of Ukraine who had bravely stood up to Russia’s invasion. However, she also called on Prime Minister Starmer to take a stronger stance against Trump and show some leadership.
The row between Trump and Zelensky has increased tensions ahead of a meeting next week between Sir Keir and Trump in Washington DC. The UK government is trying to influence the US approach to ending the war in Ukraine.
**UK Stands with Ukraine**
Other UK leaders have also spoken out in support of Zelensky, including Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Tory MP James Cleverly. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Ukraine did not start the war and that Trump’s comments were meant to shock Europeans into action.
The UK government is trying to respond to the rapid developments in Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for almost three years. Diplomats from the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss ending the war, but the US was criticized for not inviting European leaders, including Zelensky.
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