(VOVWORLD) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London Thursday, starting a tour of European capitals to call for guarantees of military aid before the US presidential election in November.
 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaking at a press conference in Kiev on August 24, 2024. Photo: Kyodo/VNA
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President Zelensky had talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO chief Mark Rutte in Downing Street. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict is at a critical time, the President of Ukraine wanted the West to transfer long-range missiles and provide more military support. The meeting, Starmer said, had been a chance to go through Ukraine’s plan to end conflict and to talk in more detail.
Afterwards, Zelensky was in Paris for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and then traveled to Rome for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He will have an audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Friday morning, and will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on the same day.
A key meeting with international allies planned for Saturday was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off a planned European trip to focus on the threat from Hurricane Milton.