Rishi Sunak donned a practical all-black outfit when he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv yesterday afternoon.
The trip marks his first visit to Ukraine since taking office, with the prime minister, 42, describing being in the city as “deeply humbling”.
For the outing, during which he had his first face-to-face with the Ukrainian president, Mr. Sunak wore slim black pants and a white shirt, topped with a down jacket.
In keeping with the utilitarian style, the Prime Minister – who is a fan of Henry Herbert’s £1,295 bespoke suits – added brown Docker-style boots, tucking in his trousers, eschewing a more formal look for practicality.
His shoes appeared to be Timberland’s Premium Heritage 6-inch men’s boots in tan, which cost £190.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) made his first visit to Ukraine since taking office, having his first face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left)
During the visit, during which he donned a practical all-black outfit, the Prime Minister laid a wreath at the Memorial Wall of Ukraine’s fallen defenders (pictured)
Rishi Sunak (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) visit the wall of memory of fallen Ukrainian defenders in Kyiv
The Prime Minister donned £190 Timberland Premium Heritage 6-inch men’s boots in tan during the trip
Underneath his jacket, his shirt was open-necked, showing that the Prime Minister was not wearing a tie.
His outfit mirrored that of President Zelensky, who also wore a single color – in his case khaki green – donning trousers, boots and a padded jacket.
While in Kyiv, Mr. Sunak laid flowers at a memorial for the war dead and lit a candle at a memorial for victims of the Holodomor famine.
A video of the meeting, posted on Mr Sunak’s Twitter account, shows him shaking hands with the Ukrainian leader in snow-covered Kyiv.
‘Welcome. How are you?’ Mr. Zelensky asks the Prime Minister.
“Really good to see you,” Mr. Sunak says as Mr. Zelensky gestures toward the falling snow.
Beneath his jacket, Mr Sunak wore an open-necked shirt, avoiding a tie and opting for a more casual look
During the surprise visit, the Prime Minister met rescue teams – including a working dog – whom he was pictured crouching down to pet
The pair shake hands in front of the Union Flag and the flag of Ukraine, before meeting one-on-one.
The surprise visit follows intense shelling by Vladimir Putin’s forces this week, with Ukraine saying Russia rained more than 148 missile strikes on critical infrastructure, leaving around 10 million people without power.
During the trip, Mr Sunak confirmed a £50million package to help bolster Ukraine’s air defenses against Putin’s forces and Iranian-supplied drones.
“The courage of the Ukrainian people is an inspiration to the world,” the prime minister said in remarks alongside Zelensky at the president’s official residence, the Mariinskyi Palace.
Mr Sunak said it was ‘deeply humbling to be in Kyiv’ on yesterday’s trip. He paid his respects to the war dead at a memorial in the city
Both men looked grim as they paid tribute to those killed in the conflict during yesterday’s outing
“In the years to come, we will tell your story to our grandchildren.”
Mr Sunak promised that Britain “will stand with you until Ukraine has achieved the peace and security it needs and deserves, and then we will stand with you while you are rebuilding your great country”.
Friday saw a bombardment in Kyiv amid fears attacks on power stations could lead to a “complete shutdown” as temperatures plummet and the first snow arrives in the city.
Footage has emerged of firefighters battling a blaze at a thermal power plant in the capital which had been hit by a Russian missile.
The Prime Minister was shown around captured Russian military vehicles and equipment, including Iranian-made drones, which have been used to target and bomb civilians in recent months.
The Prime Minister looked uncharacteristically relaxed during his meeting with President Zelensky, tucking his skinny trousers into his brown boots
The pair took part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial Wall of Ukraine’s Fallen Defenders in Kyiv
In addition to one-on-one talks with President Zelensky, Mr. Sunak met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Mr Sunak said it was “deeply humbling” to visit Kyiv “and to have the opportunity to meet those who do so much and pay such a high price to uphold the principles of sovereignty and democracy”.
Writing in English and Ukrainian, Mr Sunak said on Twitter after the meeting: “Britain knows what it means to fight for freedom”. We’re with you all the way @ZelenskyyUa’.
Although she accepted an invitation from Mr Zelensky to come to Kyiv, Mr Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, never made the trip during her 44 days in office.
The two leaders posed for the cameras as they shook hands for the first time outside President Zelensky’s official residence, Mr Sunak wearing a more traditional suit and tie.
The Prime Minister and President Zelensky embraced as the two leaders met face to face for the first time
The couple are shown shaking hands in front of the Union flag and the flag of Ukraine, before holding a one-on-one meeting
Prior to his prime ministership, Boris Johnson shared a friendly relationship with Mr Zelensky and visited Ukraine several times as prime minister.
He received widespread praise around the country for his strong support for the country’s war effort.
Mr Sunak was keen to reassure military leaders that there will be no change in stance under his leadership, although during his tenure as Chancellor under Johnson he was seen as resistant to demands for a raise defense spending.
The Prime Minister, who has spoken to Mr Zelensky several times since entering Downing Street, used his appearance at the G20 this week to join allies and other Western leaders in condemning the invasion of Vladimir Putin.
