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Zelensky was warmly embraced by many of the summit’s attendees, including Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Nato chief Mark Rutte, while protesters rallied outside the UK leader’s home in support of Ukraine.

That welcome stood in stark contrast to Zelensky’s treatment in the White House on Friday, where he was berated by Trump for not being grateful enough for US aid and not being “ready” for peace with Russia.

Their argument, played out in front of the world’s news cameras, raised fears that Trump wants to force Kyiv into a peace deal giving Russian President Vladimir Putin what he wants while leaving Ukraine broken and insecure.

After the leaders gathered yesterday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that “we urgently have to rearm Europe” and “prepare for the worst” on the continent.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk meanwhile called for the United States and Europe to “speak with one voice” in showing Putin “that the West has no intention of capitulating before his blackmail and aggression”.

Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron have said they are prepared to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine to help preserve the peace in the event an agreement is signed to end the war.

Rutte pointed to promises from more European countries to “ramp up defence spending”, while insisting the United States remained committed to the transatlantic alliance.

The London meeting brought together allies from around continental Europe, including France, Germany, Denmark and Italy as well as Turkey, Nato and the European Union.

In addition to attending the security summit, Zelensky also met King Charles III at his Sandringham estate in England.

On Saturday, Starmer and Zelensky unveiled a £2.26-billion ($2.84 billion) loan agreement to support Ukraine’s defence capabilities, to be paid back with the profits of immobilised sovereign Russian assets.

Just a day earlier, Zelensky, previously hailed in Washington as a Churchillian figure, had been shouted down at the White House.

In scenes that blew up the years-long wartime alliance between pro-Western Ukraine and the United States, Trump and his Vice President JD Vance angrily accused Zelensky of not being “thankful” and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms.

Trump has alarmed Kyiv and European allies with his pivoting of Washington’s diplomacy on the conflict.

The Republican has cast himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky, and has sidelined Kyiv and Europe while pursuing rapprochement with Putin.

Though he refused to apologise after the White House clash, Zelensky indicated that he was still open to signing a deal on Ukraine’s mineral wealth -- coveted by Trump.

Moscow branded Zelensky’s Washington trip a “complete failure”.