“Together we signed a historic agreement, the first of its kind, a new partnership between the UK and Ukraine which reflects the enormous affection between our two nations”Mr Starmer told the media after the signing in kyiv.
The document provides for a strengthening of cooperation in defense and maritime security, but also “scientific and technological partnerships” in health, agro-technology, space and drones, according to the text published by kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed relations “narrower than ever” between London and kyiv, as explosions were heard in the center of kyiv, and a drone flew over the government district.
Strengthen anti-aircraft defense
“Our discussions took place to the sound of air defense operations here in kyiv”hence “task number one – to increase cooperation so that the Ukrainian air defense shield, our army, our Ukrainian maritime forces, cybersecurity are strong enough to withstand” to Russia, Mr. Zelensky said.
Keir Starmer, the Labor leader, was in Ukraine for the first time since his election in July and a few days before Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Ukraine, whose army is exhausted and retreating on the front after nearly three years of Russian invasion, and its European allies fear a possible American disengagement, Donald Trump having declared several times that he wanted to put an end to this war quickly.
The objective “principal” East “of ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position during the year 2025“underlined Mr. Starmer to the British media, while visiting injured Ukrainian soldiers in a hospital.
The two officials discussed the possibility of stationing Western troops in Ukraine to oversee a possible ceasefire agreementa proposal initially put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Mr Starmer has not committed to sending troops, but he told Sky News on Thursday evening that he would discuss the possibility of such a deployment with other countries. “We will discuss this with a number of allies, including of course President Macron and President Zelensky here, and we will fully play our role”.
“It is too early to discuss the details”said Mr. Zelensky according to which such a contingent could only constitute“a segment of security guarantees” for his country whose overall configuration could be determined after talks with the administration of Donald Trump.
Security guarantees
“We do not envisage security guarantees for Ukraine without the United States”underlined the Ukrainian president. “We have not yet had a substantive conversation on security guarantees with the new administration”.
Keir Starmer, for his part, promised to work with kyiv and the allies to end the war and “guarantee the security of Ukraine, guarantee any possible peace and deter future aggression”.
Donald Trump, who is to be inaugurated on Monday January 20, affirmed that he was preparing a meeting with Vladimir Putin to “to end it” with the conflict in Ukraine.
The Republican billionaire clearly displayed his skepticism about the billions in aid spent by Washington to support kyiv against Russia.
During his hearing on Wednesday, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state designated by Donald Trump, called for a “bold diplomacy” of the United States to end the war.
The main problem of l’Ukrainehe affirmed, is not that it is “short of money, but rather that she be running out of Ukrainians“.
The United Kingdom has been one of kyiv’s main military supporters since the start of the war. It 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 start of the Russian invasion, and has trained more than 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers on British soil, according to official figures.
Mr Starmer’s visit to kyiv comes as the Ukrainian army has been in difficulty for several months in various sectors of the front, facing a larger and better armed Russian army.
However, it announced Thursday that it had captured 27 Russian soldiers in the Russian region of Kursk, a small part of which it has occupied since a surprise offensive last summer.
Keir Starmer is expected in Warsaw on Friday to begin discussions on the development of a new defense and security agreement.
