Starmer arrived in Kyiv to sign a historic "100-year partnership" agreement
Kyiv • UNN
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made an unannounced visit to Kyiv. The signing of a major agreement with Zelenskyy on cooperation in the areas of defense, science, energy and trade is planned.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday, a few days before Donald Trump's inauguration as US president, reports AP, writes UNN.
Details
The British government says Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a "100-year partnership" agreement in Kyiv, covering areas such as defense, science, energy and trade.
Starmer's unannounced visit is his first trip to Ukraine since taking office in July. He visited the country in 2023 when he was opposition leader, and has held two meetings with Zelenskyy at 10 Downing Street since becoming prime minister.
Starmer in Kyiv was reportedly greeted by UK Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris and Ukrainian Ambassador to London Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
The UK says its 100-year pledge is part of guarantees and will help ensure that Ukraine "will never again be vulnerable to the brutality inflicted on it by russia".
The agreement commits both sides to cooperate in the defense sector - particularly in maritime security from russian activity in the Baltic, Black and Azov Seas - and in technology projects, including drones. The treaty also includes a system to help track stolen Ukrainian grain exported by russia from occupied parts of the country.
"Putin's attempt to tear Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. Instead, we have become closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to a new level," Starmer said before the visit.
"This is not just a matter of the present, but also an investment in our two countries for the next century, combining technological development, scientific achievements and cultural exchanges, as well as harnessing the phenomenal innovations demonstrated by Ukraine in recent years for future generations," he said.
Zelenskyy says he and Starmer will also discuss a plan proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron to deploy troops from France and other Western countries to Ukraine to monitor a ceasefire agreement.
Zelenskyy said any such proposal should be accompanied by a timeline for Ukraine's accession to NATO. The 32 alliance members say Ukraine will one day join, but not until after the war.
