U.K.'s Starmer in Kyiv for security talks with a pledge for a '100-year partnership' with Ukraine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ukraine’s capital on Thursday with a pledge to help guarantee the country’s security for a century, days before Donald Trump is sworn in as U.S. president.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ukraine’s capital on Thursday with a pledge to help guarantee the country’s security for a century, days before Donald Trump is sworn in as U.S. president.
The British government said Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a “100-Year Partnership” treaty in Kyiv covering areas including defense, science, energy and trade.
Starmer’s unannounced visit is his first trip to Ukraine since he took office in July. He visited the country in 2023 when he was opposition leader, and has twice held talks with Zelenskyy in London since becoming prime minister. The war will be three years old next month.
The Italian defense chief was also in Kyiv on Thursday, two days after Germany’s defense minister visited and three days after Zelenskyy talked by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The flurry of diplomatic activity came in the run-up to Trump’s inauguration next Monday, which is expected to bring a departure from the outgoing U.S. administration’s pledge to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia. Trump has also indicated he wants Europe to shoulder more of the burden for helping Ukraine.
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