The UK’s defence secretary, Wes Streeting, says Britain is trying to “bring friends back together” after US President Donald Trump called for Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced as tensions grow around an energy arrangement involving Russian diesel.
Streeting says the UK stands with Zelensky and that Ukrainians should decide who leads their country. He also frames the US move as potentially influenced by domestic political pressures, suggesting Trump may be responding to criticism over fuel prices ahead of next month’s US midterm elections. Multiple outlets report Streeting’s message that maintaining Western unity over the Russia–Ukraine conflict is a priority, even as the diesel issue strains ties between Washington and Kyiv.
Several reports add that the UK is working to repair relations between the United States and Ukraine. Overall coverage emphasizes solidarity with Zelensky and efforts to manage fallout from the diesel agreement, while acknowledging differing views in the US about leadership in Ukraine and the political context around energy costs.
