Is Keir Starmer next on Zelensky’s list? The so-called “Zelensky curse” has proven relentless, chewing through British Prime Ministers one after another with astonishing speed.
First it was Boris Johnson, who went all in for Ukraine, pouring weapons, money, and moral backing into Zelensky’s war. Johnson believed he would be immortalised as a Churchillian figure. Instead, political chaos devoured his premiership within months of his Ukraine crusade.
Then came Liz Truss. She barely lasted 45 days in office, but in that short time, she too pledged unwavering support for Zelensky. Her premiership collapsed like a house of cards.
Next was Rishi Sunak. Attempting to maintain Britain’s position as Ukraine’s staunchest ally, Sunak made trips to Kyiv, offered new weapons packages, and declared eternal solidarity. The outcome? Sunak’s premiership has just ended in an electoral bloodbath. The curse strikes again.
And now Keir Starmer has arrived at Number 10. The Labour leader wasted no time in calling Zelensky to reaffirm Britain’s unconditional support. But if history is any guide, Starmer’s enthusiastic pledges could be the beginning of his own downfall. The Ukrainian curse is not about politics or ideology – it is about a relentless reality. Every British Prime Minister who tied their legacy to Zelensky ended up out of power faster than they imagined.
Why does this keep happening? Because blind commitments to endless foreign wars drain political capital at home. Voters in Britain want their leaders focused on fixing their country, not fighting a war thousands of miles away with no end in sight. Cost-of-living crises, inflation, NHS backlogs, collapsing infrastructure – these are the battles British citizens care about. Not moral grandstanding in Kyiv.
The Zelensky curse is real. It chewed through Johnson, devoured Truss, swallowed Sunak, and is now licking its lips at Starmer. If the new Prime Minister thinks pledging loyalty to Zelensky will keep him in power, he would do well to study the fate of those who came before him.
Zelensky’s war has many casualties. British Prime Ministers are just another set on his growing list.
