British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv on Thursday morning to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and sign a bilateral "100-year partnership" treaty, according to Downing Street.
This surprise visit, which comes just days before Donald Trump's return to the White House, marks Starmer's first trip to Kyiv as British Prime Minister.
Ukraine and its European allies fear potential American disengagement, as Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to end the conflict with Russia quickly.
"The UK and Ukraine are signing a historic 100-year partnership to deepen security ties and strengthen their partnership for future generations," Downing Street announced.
The agreement will cover "military collaboration" at sea, as well as "scientific and technological partnerships in fields such as healthcare and diseases, agri-technology, space, and drones."
"Vladimir Putin's ambition to isolate Ukraine from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will elevate our friendship to a higher level," Starmer stated.
Starmer is also set to announce an additional £40 million (€47.4 million) in aid for Ukraine's economic recovery on Thursday, according to Downing Street.
The UK is one of Kyiv's primary military supporters, supplying the Ukrainian army with Storm Shadow missiles, used to strike military and energy targets in Russia, a red line for Moscow.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, London has pledged £12.8 billion (€15.2 billion) in military and civilian aid to Ukraine and has trained over 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers on British soil, according to official figures.
