The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom spoke of an “unbreakable bond” with Ukraine as he made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to sign a surprise 100-year military and economic treaty with Kyiv.
Sir Keir Starmer is making his first visit to Ukraine since becoming Prime Minister some six months ago on Thursday, announcing his travel with the obligatory train journey photographs made necessary by the war-imposed no-fly zone. In a statement ahead of his meetings with Volodymyr Zelensky, Starmer announced he is planning to sign a 100-year treaty today, hailed as a “historic 100 Year Partnership to continue to support Ukraine now and invest in our two countries for the future” which formalises an “unbreakable bond” between the two nations.
Sir Keir Starmer arrives in Kyiv by train on Thursday morning / Downing Street handout
The Prime Minister called Russia’s war a “monumental strategic failure” as it had pushed Ukraine and Western nations like the United Kingdom “closer than ever”, and prompted them to take their friendship “to the next level”. Starmer claimed: “Through this partnership, we are creating a strong economy that works for the British people, a safe country that protects our interests at home and abroad, and a prosperous society.”
The government statement on the treaty states it will encompass defence and civilian areas including trade and cultural links including “scientific and technology partnerships, in areas such as healthcare and disease, agri-tech, space and drones… It also cements the UK as a preferred partner for Ukraine’s energy sector, critical minerals strategy and green steel production.”.
On the military side, the Anglo-Ukrainian treaty appears to be preoccupied with maritime security — which was already a major feature of the relationship between the two countries before Russia’s 2022 re-invasion — with mention of the Baltic, Black Sea, and Sea of Azov.
The actual content of the treaty and the political declaration that comes with it will be debating in the UK Parliament in the coming weeks, the government said.
Starmer shackling the United Kingdom to Ukraine for a century has been widely interpreted in the British press as a message to Donald Trump just days before the inauguration. In defiance of Trump’s determination to bring peace to the region quickly, the United Kingdom — as well as several other European states — makes much of its determination to keep Ukraine fighting.
The Times states as well as the treaty, Starmer is expected to announce a new tranche of funding to Kyiv today worth £40 million ($49m), while The Guardian states the possibility of the United Kingdom deploying troops to Ukraine itself as part of a multinational peacekeeping force intended to deter future Russian aggression. This has emerged as a key interest of President Zelensky, who brings it up in addresses and in talks with other leaders frequently.
Zelensky’s most enthusiastic collaborator on this matter remains France’s Emmanuel Macron. The Ukrainian President has previously called the plan to deploy NATO troops to Ukraine to face down Moscow a “French initiative” which he hopes will “contribute to stabilizing the path to peace”.
