Zelensky to meet with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid diplomatic efforts regarding Ukraine.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer will meet on Saturday afternoon at Downing Street, 10, reports The Guardian.

The meeting takes place ahead of a summit aimed at ensuring a 'lasting and enforced' peace in Ukraine. As previously reported, Starmer will also hold talks with the head of the Italian Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni. The summit is scheduled for Sunday.

The Norwegian government plans to increase support for Ukraine, said the country's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. 'We will soon approach the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) with a proposal to increase support,' Støre said on Saturday in an interview with the public broadcaster NRK. The Prime Minister of Norway will also participate in the Sunday summit in London.

The Norwegian Parliament has already approved the allocation of 35 billion Norwegian krone (3.12 billion dollars) for military and civilian support for Ukraine in 2025.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken the opposite position, calling on the European Union to begin 'direct negotiations with Russia for a ceasefire,' according to the Financial Times. In a letter to the head of the EU Council, Antonio Costa, Orban also stated that he is against efforts to find a consensus on Ukraine.

'It has become clear that there are strategic divergences in our approach to Ukraine that cannot be overcome through the drafting of bills or communication,' Orban wrote.

The letter came after Brussels circulated a draft conclusion for the upcoming EU leaders' summit, which includes additional military support for Ukraine and a rapid increase in defense spending by European capitals. Zelensky has also been invited to this summit.

Turkey's proposal for direct negotiations

According to the Reuters agency and 'European Truth', Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will reiterate Ankara's proposal for direct peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia at the meeting of European leaders in London on Sunday.

Fidan intends to inform European leaders about Turkey's efforts to seek a 'just and lasting peace' in the war. According to a source, he will also reaffirm Ankara's commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

The Turkish minister is expected to 'emphasize that Turkey, which hosted direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022, is ready to take on this role in the future period.'

President Zelensky visited Turkey last month on the same day that representatives of the US and Russia met in Riyadh for negotiations without the participation of Kyiv. On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also held talks in Ankara, and on Thursday, delegations from the US and Russia met in Istanbul to discuss bilateral issues regarding embassy operations.