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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in Kyiv to sign what Downing Street is calling a “landmark 100-year partnership” with Ukraine.
The pact will formalise economic and military support already pledged to the country, which has been fighting a war with Russia for almost three years.
It is the prime minister’s first visit to the country since taking office last summer, in a show of support for Ukraine just days before Donald Trump re-enters the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is keen to discuss firm security guarantees from key allies such as the UK, wary that a new US administration could push Ukraine to make peace with Russia.
Unlike other prime ministers who rushed to Kyiv, Sir Keir has taken his time to visit, but after six months in office, he has arrived in Ukraine pledging long-term support against what he calls Russia’s “illegal and barbaric invasion.” He was greeted at Kyiv railway station by the UK’s ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, and the Ukrainian envoy to London, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
The highlight of the visit will be the signing of the 100-year partnership agreement, Zaluzhnyi said, which will cover areas from science to culture, with a particular focus on security.
Speaking as he travelled to the country, Sir Keir said: “This is not just about the here and now; it is also about an investment in our two countries for the next century.”
“Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level,” he added.
Trump’s choice for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said earlier this week that both countries would have to make concessions to see an end to the war.
Thursday’s announcement includes more military and economic aid, as well as increased military collaboration on maritime security, drone technology, and healthcare. Zelensky has previously said he is looking to the UK for help securing guarantees to deter future attacks.
It is Sir Keir’s first visit to the country since taking office last summer. Joining NATO is high on Ukraine’s wish list, but the country also wants its allies to send peacekeepers if fighting stops, to patrol the current frontline, which could become a buffer zone in any peace agreement.
Ahead of the visit, Zelensky said this was something he would discuss with the prime minister. The partnership builds on the £12.8 billion of support the UK has already provided to Ukraine. The country has also committed to providing £3 billion in military aid annually for “as long as it takes.”
Ukraine has been using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russian military facilities far from the border. Their arrival late last year was welcomed by Kyiv and condemned by Moscow.
The partnership, composed of a treaty and a political declaration, is due to be presented to Parliament in the coming weeks. Plans for the agreement began under the previous Conservative government.
Sir Keir previously visited Ukraine when he was leader of the opposition in 2023 and has hosted President Zelensky twice at Downing Street since entering office.
