Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called on Western leaders to back Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump stepped up criticism of Ukraine’s leader.
Mr Miliband will warn that Russian actions already pose an “immediate and urgent” threat to the British way of life as he appears alongside European counterparts at a security summit in Poland.
The public show of support for Mr Zelensky comes after Mr Trump suggested Ukraine needs a new leader, claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted a peace deal more than the Kyiv government and announced plans to import Russian diesel.
But ahead of the Warsaw Security Forum, where he will speak alongside Polish, German and Norwegian counterparts, Mr Miliband said Ukraine needed support.
He urged support for an energy ceasefire – where Russia and Ukraine would agree not to hit each other’s infrastructure in order to keep civilians’ heating and lights on in the freezing winter.
The Foreign Office said that in the past week alone, Russia has mounted 200 attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Mr Miliband said: “Last week in Kyiv, I met children who have only known winters marked by strikes, blackouts and the freezing cold.
“We cannot allow Russian strikes to dictate whether the Ukrainian people can keep their lights on, or turn their heating on, for another winter.
“And Russia is not stopping at Ukraine. Europe’s adversaries are testing our defences, targeting our infrastructure through cyber attacks and sabotage, and attempting to weaken our resolve for Ukraine.
“Those who seek to weaken our democracies thrive on division, so our answer must be unity.
“We need to back President Zelensky and support Ukraine with an energy ceasefire”
The US president claimed Russian counterpart Mr Putin, who triggered the conflict by launching the invasion back in 2022, wanted a peace deal more than Ukraine’s leader.
Mr Trump insisted both men “have to get together and end that ridiculous war”.
His barb at Mr Zelensky followed a renewed spat between the pair after the US president announced a controversial diesel deal with Russia in a bid to bring down soaring domestic fuel costs ahead of critical stateside elections next month, which will decide control of Congress.
Prices have spiked as a result of the US war with Iran, which has disrupted oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz waterway, but Mr Trump has increasingly sought to lay the blame on attacks by Ukraine on Russian refineries.
The agreement struck by Washington to waive sanctions and allow Moscow to sell diesel has sparked cross-party criticism on Capitol Hill, amid warnings it would help bankroll the Kremlin’s war effort.
Mr Zelensky argued it “plays into Russia’s hands” and would prolong the conflict.
In response, Mr Trump suggested Mr Zelensky had not done enough to end the war and that Ukraine needed a new leader.
Speaking as he left the White House to travel to a campaign rally in Ohio, Mr Trump said: “All I know is that Zelensky and Putin have to get together and end that ridiculous war.”
He added: “I think they want to make a deal, but they don’t know how. But we’re going to get them to make a deal.”
Mr Trump went on: “I think actually Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelensky.”
The president also insisted an energy ceasefire was already in place between Ukraine and Russia, because he said so.
This was despite Mr Zelensky saying Moscow had struck his country’s energy sites after Mr Trump had declared a halt to attacks on both sides’ power infrastructure.
The US president said: “Well, they agreed. Because I said, ‘You agree.’ That’s why they agreed, because I said they agree.”
When pressed about the attacks by Russia, Mr Trump said: “Well, I’d have to look at it and see, because there’s been violations on both sides.”
Donald Trump has become embroiled in a renewed spat with Mr Zelensky (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)