This agreement will cover “military collaboration” at sea, but also “scientific and technological partnerships in areas such as health care and disease, agro-technology, space and drones”.
“(Vladimir) Putin’s ambition to distance Ukraine from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. On the contrary, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level,” Mr Starmer said.
The British Prime Minister will also announce on Thursday additional aid of 40 million pounds (47.4 million euros) for Ukraine’s economic recovery, according to Downing Street.
The United Kingdom is one of kyiv’s main military supporters. The country notably supplies the Ukrainian army with Storm Shadow missiles, used by kyiv to strike military and energy targets on Russian soil, a red line for Moscow.
London has promised 12.8 billion pounds (15.2 billion euros) in military and civilian aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, and has trained more than 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers on British soil, according to official figures.
