Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged a defence aid package of £50 million to Ukraine.

Mr Sunak met with President Volodymyr Zelensky during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday.

The defence aid promise comes as Mr Sunak laid flowers at a memorial for the war dead in the Ukrainian capital.

The PM also lit a candle at a memorial for victims of the Holodomor famine before he went on to meet with emergency workers at a fire station.

Rishi Sunak makes surprise visit to Ukraine amid promises £50 million in defence aid

Speaking about his visit to Kyiv, Mr Sunak said it was “deeply humbling” to be in the city for his first trip to the country as Prime Minister.

The PM added: “I am proud of how the UK stood with Ukraine from the very beginning. And I am here today to say the UK and our allies will continue to stand with Ukraine, as it fights to end this barbarous war and deliver a just peace.

“While Ukraine’s armed forces succeed in pushing back Russian forces on the ground, civilians are being brutally bombarded from the air. We are today providing new air defence, including anti-aircraft guns, radar and anti-drone equipment, and stepping up humanitarian support for the cold, hard winter ahead.

“It is deeply humbling to be in Kyiv today and to have the opportunity to meet those who are doing so much, and paying so high a price.”

The surprise trip comes as President Zelensky shared his thanks with the Mr Sunak on Twitter

“With friends like you by our side, we are confident in our victory. Both of our nations know what it means to stand up for freedom,” Mr Zelensky said.

Mr Sunak follows his predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss who both pledged that the UK's support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia would remain steadfast.

The PM used his appearance at the G20 this week to join with allies and other Western leaders to condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

A video, which was posted on the PM's official Twitter account, depicts the leaders shaking hands in a snowy Kyiv.

“Welcome. How are you?” Mr Zelensky asks the Prime Minister.

“Really good to see you,” Mr Sunak says as Mr Zelensky gestures at the falling snow.

The leaders shake hands in front of the Union and Ukrainian flags as well in a one-to-one meeting together.

The visit comes after a missile hit a Polish village close to the Ukrainian border earlier this week.

The incident initially sparked concerns that Russia had struck a Nato member state but the tensions have since eased by the likely attribution of the hit being from Ukrainian defence forces.