Media reported on the arrival of British Prime Minister Starmer in Kiev
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in Kiev for talks on security. The Associated Press (AP) reported on January 16.
"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in the Ukrainian capital Thursday to pledge to guarantee the country's security for a century," AP reports.
It is specified that Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (term expired May 20) will sign a "100-year partnership" agreement in Kiev that will cover primarily defense, as well as science, energy and trade.
"Starmer's unannounced visit is his first trip to Ukraine since taking office in July. He visited the country in 2023, when he was leader of the opposition, and has held talks with Zelensky twice since becoming prime minister," the material reads.
As the agency notes, the meeting between the British Prime Minister and the Ukrainian President takes place shortly before the inauguration of the US leader-elect Donald Trump.
The amount that the British government spends on aid to Kiev is one of the largest in comparison with the rest of the European countries. At the same time, the UK's role is insignificant relative to the volume of American supplies, the fate of which is unknown after Trump assumes the presidency, AP reported.
On January 15, The Telegraph reported that Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were considering sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. Earlier, on January 12, former British defense ministers Grant Shapps and Gavin Williamson spoke in favor of sending British peacekeepers to Ukraine.
Before that, on January 10, Zelensky reported that the British prime minister would visit Ukraine to discuss the deployment of peacekeeping forces on its territory after the end of the conflict.
On December 16 last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled the prematurity of talks about sending peacekeepers to Ukraine because Kiev is still unwilling to resume negotiations.
On December 5, 2024, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock admitted at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels that a German peacekeeping contingent could be sent to Ukraine after the conflict ends.
Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine against the backdrop of Russia's special operation to protect Donbas, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
