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Editor's note: The article was updated with a report on British PM Keir Starmer and President Volodymyr Zelensky honoring fallen soldiers at the Wall of Remembrance of Fallen Defenders on Kyiv's Mykhailivska Square.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv on Jan. 16, where he is set to sign a wide-ranging "100 Year Partnership" treaty covering a number of areas, including defense, energy, and trade.
Starmer's visit marks his second trip to the Ukrainian capital and the first since he was elected prime minister in July 2024.
"This is not just about the here and now, it is also about an investment in our two countries for the next century, bringing together technology development, scientific advances and cultural exchanges, and harnessing the phenomenal innovation shown by Ukraine in recent years for generations to come," Starmer said in a news release on the treaty.
The agreement, based on nine key pillars, aims to strengthen maritime military cooperation between the two countries and bolster security in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Azov Sea, according to the U.K. government statement.
It will also advance scientific, educational, and technological partnerships in healthcare, agriculture, space, and drones. London will launch a new Grain Verification Scheme to track grain looted by Russia in the occupied territories.
The document further "cements" the U.K. as Ukraine's preferred partner in the energy sector, critical minerals strategy, and green steel production.
"The 100 Year Partnership is a major step in supporting Ukraine’s long-term security – ensuring they are never again vulnerable to the kind of brutality inflicted on it by Russia – and committing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a sovereign Ukraine for the next century," according to the statement.
Ukrainian and U.K. leadership are also expected to hold talks to discuss further cooperation, primarily in the security sector, Ukraine's Ambassador to London Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.
"We are also planning to resume the Strategic Partnership Dialogue, which is a tool that will allow us to effectively discuss and resolve various issues of bilateral cooperation," he added.
As part of his visit, Starmer and President Volodymyr Zelensky laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of Fallen Defenders on Kyiv's Mykhailivska Square.
Starmer's visit to Ukraine comes as the U.K. discusses deploying an international peacekeeping force to the embattled country after a potential ceasefire deal.
Bloomberg reported on Jan. 10 that Starmer was expected to visit Kyiv in the coming weeks to discuss the peacekeepers' potential deployment with Zelensky.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has also advocated for Europe to take the lead in monitoring a potential ceasefire. The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 12 that Trump emphasized Europe’s greater responsibility in addressing Russian aggression.
To mark the signing of the partnership treaty, Starmer is expected to announce new military and economic support for Ukraine as it continues to resist Russian aggression.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure," Starmer said in a statement.
"Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level."
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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