As he heads for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Starmer will sign a “100-year partnership” treaty with Ukraine, aimed at strengthening security in the Black Sea and the Baltic, and building economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
“Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure,” Starmer said in comments released by No. 10. “Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level.”
Trump’s return casts a shadow over the British leader’s visit to Ukraine, his first since winning power last July. Ukraine’s allies worry that the United States may be about to abandon Europe to fend for itself.
Ukraine has declared it’s willing to engage in potential discussions, with conditions, while other Western leaders, such as France’s Emmanuel Macron, have floated the idea of sending in European troops to keep the peace. Western officials remain skeptical about whether Putin is really interested in peace talks at all.
Starmer is also expected to unveil a new package of support for Ukraine’s immediate needs, including “lethal aid,” though the details are not yet clear.
Downing Street officials point out that Ukraine is now a cutting-edge military power, with highly trained armed forces and a technology sector that has been innovating at speed and testing its new kit on the battlefield for the past three years. That real-world experience of war will help Britain bolster its defenses too, the officials say.
