Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Kyiv on Thursday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, using one of his final overseas visits in office to reaffirm Britain's
long-term commitment to Ukraine's defence against Russia.
The visit comes during Starmer's last week as prime minister and follows more than two years of UK support for Ukraine under his government. The two leaders are expected to discuss military assistance, security cooperation and the next steps in efforts to strengthen Ukraine's position against Russia's full-scale invasion.
Starmer is expected to tell President Zelenskyy that the UK's backing for Ukraine remains "cast-iron", despite the transition of government in Britain. He will argue that the partnerships and security arrangements established during his premiership have laid the groundwork for Ukraine's long-term security and a lasting peace.
The prime minister is also expected to praise the resilience of the Ukrainian people, saying their resistance has helped safeguard not only their own sovereignty but also the security of Europe.
Since taking office in July 2024, the UK government says it has committed £3 billion a year in military assistance to Ukraine for as long as required. British support has included more than 250,000 drones, about 8,000 missiles and over 350,000 artillery rounds.
Britain has also helped establish the 34-member Coalition of the Willing, a group of allied countries intended to provide long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, and has jointly led the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with Germany after taking over coordination from the United States.
The government says it has expanded defence cooperation with Kyiv by supporting drone production, sharing military technology and strengthening sanctions against Russia. More than 1,400 Russian individuals, companies and vessels have been sanctioned, including hundreds of ships linked to Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet" used to transport oil.
During Starmer's time in office, Britain also signed a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukraine covering defence, trade, energy, science and cultural cooperation.
The Kyiv visit follows a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris earlier this week, where Starmer announced that the UK would join the €90 billion (£78 billion) Ukraine Support Loan programme. The initiative is designed to finance Ukraine's defence needs over the next two years while allowing British defence companies to compete for contracts funded by the scheme.
The allies also agreed to develop a joint European programme to improve protection against ballistic missile attacks, drawing on Ukraine's experience of defending itself during more than four years of war.
Ahead of his meeting with President Zelenskyy, Starmer said the UK's support for Ukraine would continue beyond his premiership, describing Britain's commitment as one that "will always endure". He said the international partnerships established over the past two years were intended to provide Ukraine with lasting security and help deter future Russian aggression. Photo by Number 10, Wikimedia commons.
