'We must continue support for Ukraine': British premier highlights NATO unity, Russian 'threats'

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday called for sustained support for Ukraine, stressing that the fight against Russian "aggression" is far from over.

Speaking at the seventh European Political Community (EPC) summit in Copenhagen, Starmer said: "This has been nearly four long years for brave Ukrainians fighting."

Highlighting the alleged threat from Russia, Starmer warned: "The appetite that Putin has to not only rain down on Ukraine, but also to take action and to interfere right across Europe in many different ways ... [is] unrelenting, we must fight it with everything that we have."

He emphasized the need for continued NATO cooperation, and stressed the importance of economic measures against Russia.

"The economic pressure is having an effect, and we need to continue that pressure through further sanctions, bearing down on energy in particular, and on the shadow fleet," he said.

European leaders have gathered for the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and wider European security. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also to attending the meeting.

The EPC was launched in 2022 at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

It was designed as a forum for dialogue and cooperation between European nations both inside and outside the EU, without the formality of state visits.