British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (C, front), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R, front), Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (L, front), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (R, back), and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof are pictured prior to a "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in London, Britain, Oct. 24, 2025. European leaders and NATO's chief vowed Friday to step up sanctions on Russia and accelerate the delivery of long-range strike and air defense weapons to Ukraine following a "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in London. (Simon Dawson/No. 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua)
LONDON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- European leaders and NATO's chief vowed Friday to step up sanctions on Russia and accelerate the delivery of long-range strike and air defense weapons to Ukraine following a "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in London.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders held a joint press conference after the meeting, saying the coalition aims to gradually phase out Russian oil and gas from the global market and channel frozen Russian assets into funding Ukraine's reconstruction.
Starmer said Britain had taken the lead in fully sanctioning Russian oil and gas, followed by the United States and the European Union. He announced that Britain plans to supply Ukraine with more than 5,000 lightweight multirole missiles, with 140 delivered ahead of schedule.
On Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said EU member states had approved the bloc's 19th round of sanctions against Russia, which include targetting the country's natural gas sector for the first time. The sector is a pillar of Russia's economy. ■
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (C), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd L), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (2nd R), Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (1st L), and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof attend a "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in London, Britain, Oct. 24, 2025. European leaders and NATO's chief vowed Friday to step up sanctions on Russia and accelerate the delivery of long-range strike and air defense weapons to Ukraine following a "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in London. (Simon Dawson/No. 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua)
