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The President of Ukraine is suing the BBC for libel over a news report that claimed he had secretly paid at least £300,000 for a meeting with Donald Trump, The Telegraph reports.

Lawyers for President Petro Poroshenko said the allegation is untrue and “strikes at the core of his personal dignity and integrity”.

The BBC story claimed that intermediaries acting for Mr Poroshenko made a secret payment to Michael Cohen, then Mr Trump’s personal lawyer, to set up talks between the two leaders.

It alleged that, through official channels, Mr Poroshenko had been able to secure only “an embarrassingly brief few minutes of small talk and a handshake” with the US president, and that he wanted more.

The two men met in June 2017 for what Mr Poroshenko later described as a “substantial visit” during which they discussed military cooperation.

The report was broadcast on BBC One’s flagship News at Ten bulletin on May 23 this year and given a prominent place on the BBC website.

In a High Court claim, lawyers for Mr Poroshenko say the allegation was particularly damaging because he is actively involved in promoting anti-corruption measures in the Ukraine.

Mr Poroshenko “has been seriously injured in his reputation and has been caused substantial distress and embarrassment,” the claim reads.

“The allegation that the Claimant was guilty of serious corruption is self-evidently an extremely grave and serious one...

“It has also caused him considerable distress and embarrassment since the allegation strikes at the core of his personal dignity and integrity.”

The claim asserts that the BBC had “no evidence of any payment or secret talks” and that it “chose to publish this hugely serious and damaging allegation despite its journalists having been repeatedly told by those alleged to be involved that it was completely untrue, and that there had been no payment and no back-channel talks.”

It said the BBC has refused to publish a correction or apology, and the story remains available on the BBC website.