By Olena Harmash
KYIV (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ukraine on Thursday to sign a security and trade pact with Kyiv in a public show of support for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy before Donald Trump returns to power in the United States.
Starmer’s visit comes two days after German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius travelled to the country, with European leaders weighing what security guarantees they can provide as part of any peace agreement that may be pushed by Trump.
Trump’s return to the White House has sparked concerns that a bid to end Moscow’s invasion could force Ukraine to cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.
Starmer, who was making his first visit to Ukraine since he became prime minister last July, was due to sign a 100-year partnership with Kyiv to deepen security and cultural ties.
The treaty and political declaration – to be considered by Britain’s parliament in the coming weeks – aims to boost military cooperation to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov and deter Russian aggression.
The treaty will also cover areas such as energy, critical minerals and green steel production, Starmer’s office said.
“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.”
Britain has been one of the most vocal backers of Ukraine, providing 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in support since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 to fund military assistance and aid, and energy infrastructure.
But that sum is well below Washington’s $63.5 billion in security assistance since Russia’s invasion, underscoring the importance of Trump’s actions over Ukraine.
While Trump had said he expected to resolve the conflict quickly, advisers to the president elect have now conceded that any resolution could take months or longer to secure.
The partnership announced on Thursday, which provides 40 million pounds for Ukraine’s economic recovery, includes additional support around grain verification and trade with Ukraine’s thriving technology sector that has produced battle-ready equipment.
($1 = 0.8185 pounds)
(Reporting by Olena Harmash, Kate Holton in London and Kritika Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Philippa Fletcher)
