A hundred woes ahead: what Zelensky and Starmer agreed on in Kiev
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kiev on 16 January, where he signed an agreement on a "century-long partnership" between the two countries. London promised Ukraine new arms supplies and continued training of AFU soldiers on the territory of the United Kingdom. At the same time, the expert community believes that Starmer came to prepare the ground in view of the changes that will undoubtedly occur in the Ukrainian direction after Donald Trump comes to power. They note that the agreement primarily relates to the period of future post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and was drawn up taking into account the interests of British business. On the new agreements between London and Kiev - in the material "Izvestia".
Ukraine and Britain sign agreement for a hundred years
For the first time during his tenure as British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer came to Kiev to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. The occasion was the signing of an ambitious agreement "on a hundred-year partnership" between the two countries. At the press conference, Starmer confirmed that as part of the agreement, the UK will supply Kiev with a new mobile air defense system "tailored to Ukraine's needs."
He specified that London and Kiev will continue to work on measures to guarantee Ukraine's security after the end of the conflict. "Negotiations will continue for several more months," the minister added.
In addition, he reminded that London has already allocated about $3 billion for military aid this year. To support the front line, Kiev will also receive a loan of more than $2 million, which will be repaid through interest from frozen Russian assets.
Finally, Ukraine will receive 150 artillery barrels manufactured by Sheffield Forgemasters in a few weeks. The minister assured that the UK would continue training the AFU. According to Starmer, when it comes to training Ukraine's defenders, "nothing is off the table." Under this phrase, apparently, meant the training of servicemen on the territory of Ukraine itself.
A Downing Street statement published on the British government's website ahead of Starmer's trip also said the agreement would aim to deepen military cooperation to "strengthen security" in the Black, Azov and Baltic Seas. The agreement also aims to develop scientific and technological cooperation in the fields of healthcare, agrotechnology, space and UAVs. In particular, it enshrines the UK as "the preferred partner for Ukraine's energy sector, strategy for the extraction of essential minerals and the production of environmentally friendly steel".
London's interests in Ukraine
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto also arrived in Kiev on January 16. Two days before that, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius paid an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital. Earlier in the week, Starmer held telephone talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
This marked increase in talks between Kiev's European allies comes days before the inauguration of Trump, who has previously said he wants Europe to shoulder much of the burden of helping Ukraine. At the same time, the president-elect's team has yet to publicize a plan to end the conflict in Ukraine, the need for which the future White House chief speaks regularly.
Given that the total amount of U.S. military aid to Ukraine exceeds more than $66 billion, and Britain has so far provided it with about $16 billion in aid, it is obvious that London alone will find it difficult to shoulder the brunt of the military support. However, together with other European countries, Britain could well do it, believes Vadim Koroshchupov, a military expert and junior researcher at IMEMO of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Realizing that the arrival of the American president will bring changes in the Ukrainian direction, Starmer is trying to keep up with other European leaders and try to keep up with the preparatory measures they are taking in the run-up to Trump's inauguration, said Kira Godovanyuk, a senior researcher at the Institute of International Studies of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
- He thus wants to confirm the priority of the Ukrainian direction for London and is trying to preserve the UK's position in Ukraine in one form or another on the eve of possible deals. Hence the ambitious title of the agreement. It is a PR move to emphasize the strategic importance of the Ukrainian direction for the British foreign policy," she added.
It is interesting to note that Starmer's visit to Kiev was expected for six months - from the moment he took office. His predecessor Rishi Sunak visited Ukraine in the first month of his premiership, Boris Johnson also visited the country several times in 2022. If Bloomberg is to be believed, officials close to Zelensky have privately expressed their disappointment with Starmer's approach to the Ukrainian issue, believing that, like Biden, he is being too cautious, not giving Kiev what it needs to win.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer inspects a damaged car on the road before talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on January 16, 2025 in Kiev, Ukraine
According to British media, Macron, during a recent conversation with Starmer, persuaded him to agree to send the military to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission after a possible deal to end the conflict. The Telegraph writes that Starmer, meanwhile, has not yet given his final consent. The newspaper's source explained: there are still unresolved questions about the threats to which these troops could be exposed and whether this would lead to escalation.
Recall that, according to The Wall Street Journal, in December, at a meeting with Macron and Zelensky in Paris, Trump made it clear that it was Europe that should take the main role in providing security and support for Ukraine, and the United States could assist in this process. There is no talk of sending US troops across the ocean.
It is important to note that the details of the signed agreement indicate that it is more related to the future period of Ukraine's recovery and here London is thinking about how to secure its interests.
- We are talking about the interests of its own business, which will operate within the framework of deals on strategically important natural resources, including grain deals. Starmer favors those foreign policy tasks that should first and foremost address the socio-economic issues of his own country," Kira Godovaniuk said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Thus, whether Kiev's European allies want it or not, Trump's imminent inauguration and the conflict fatigue of the European population are making themselves felt. A poll conducted in December by the British company YouGov showed that the number of British residents in favor of continuing the conflict at any cost until Ukraine's victory is achieved has decreased by 36% in two years. At the same time, 64% of Britons believe that Keir Starmer is not coping well with his official duties. And in these circumstances, the British authorities had nothing left but to conclude an agreement for 100 years ahead, which allows them to talk about cooperation with Kiev in the most general words, without going to specifics.
By the way, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Oleksiy Chepa, called the Ukraine-Britain partnership agreement ostentatious: "We know that Great Britain supports Ukraine more than anyone else in Europe, but, you see, it is one thing to make statements and another thing to physically support it. Here, the UK acts more as a provocateur, as it always does in many conflicts.
