PM visits Ukraine to sign 'landmark' 100-year pact

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Sir Keir Starmer is travelling to Kyiv to motion what Downing Street is calling a "landmark 100-year partnership" with Ukraine.

The pact would formalise economical and subject enactment already pledged to the country, and offers more.

It is the premier minister's archetypal sojourn to the state since taking bureau past summer, successful a amusement of enactment for Ukraine days earlier Donald Trump re-enters the White House.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is keen to sermon steadfast information guarantees from cardinal allies specified arsenic the UK, wary that a caller US medication could commencement pushing Ukraine to marque bid with Russia.

Unlike different premier ministers who person rushed to Kyiv, Sir Keir has taken his clip to visit, but aft six months successful bureau helium is present coming to Ukraine pledging semipermanent enactment against what helium calls Russia's "illegal and barbaric invasion".

Speaking arsenic helium travelled to the country, helium said: "This is not conscionable astir the present and now, it is besides astir an concern successful our 2 countries for the adjacent century."

"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin's ambition to wrench Ukraine distant from its closest partners has been a monumental strategical failure. Instead, we are person than ever, and this concern volition instrumentality that relationship to the adjacent level," helium added.

Thursday's announcement includes much subject and economical assistance to beryllium that, arsenic good arsenic accrued subject collaboration connected maritime information and drone technology, and healthcare.

Zelensky has antecedently said helium is looking towards the UK for assistance getting information guarantees to deter aboriginal attacks.

Joining Nato is towards the apical of Zelensky's privation list, but Ukraine besides wants its allies to nonstop peacekeepers to the state if warring does stop, to patrol the existent frontline which could go a buffer portion successful immoderate bid agreement.

Ahead of the visit, Zelensky said this was thing helium would sermon with the premier minister.

It builds connected £12.8bn of enactment the UK has already fixed to Ukraine. The state has besides already committed to giving the state £3bn successful subject assistance each twelvemonth for "as agelong arsenic it takes".

Ukraine has already been utilizing British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to onslaught Russian subject facilities acold from the border.

Their accomplishment precocious past twelvemonth was welcomed by Kyiv, and slammed by Moscow.

Starmer antecedently visited Ukraine erstwhile helium was person of the absorption successful 2023, and has hosted President Zelensky doubly astatine Downing Street since entering office.

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