Keir Starmer vows long-term UK partnership with Ukraine in visit to Kyiv

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Great Britain met with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Kyiv on Thursday, a show of solidarity four days before the inauguration of Donald J. Trump.

The trip to Ukraine, Mr Starmer’s first since becoming prime minister over the summer, comes amid a diplomatic standoff between Kyiv and its European allies, who are looking to retain support America’s Ukraine in the war with Russia Mr. Trump. .

Britain is Ukraine’s biggest military aid donor, after the US and Germany, and Downing Street said it planned to sign a “100-year partnership” between the two countries. Mr. Starmer and Mr. Zelensky.

The agreement includes a special focus on maritime security and promises to strengthen cooperation in technology, medicine and education. It follows a tighter defense pact signed a year ago in response to a 2022 invasion ordered by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

“Putin’s desire to alienate Ukraine from its closest allies is a major strategic failure,” Mr Starmer said in a statement. “Instead, we’re closer than ever.”

Mr. Trump said he plans to end the war quickly, but did not say how he would do that. Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state, said this week that Russia and Ukraine must agree to any negotiations.

Kyiv’s official position is not to negotiate directly with Mr. Putin, a move that Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiha, confirmed on Wednesday. But Mr Zelensky said he hoped to meet Mr Trump at the very latest.

Mr Starmer was joined on Thursday by Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain and former commander-in-chief. He said the partnership will strengthen security ties and strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

Mr Zelensky told a meeting of allies in Germany this month that he planned to discuss with Mr Starmer “in the coming weeks” the possibility of Britain sending troops to Ukraine. Ukrainian leaders have also presented this idea to other European leaders, but they have met with skepticism.

Ukraine received support in other ways from other European allies.

Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said during a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday that he hoped Berlin would find a way to send an additional 3 billion euros in military aid. But Germany is facing political turmoil after the government collapsed a month ago.

Mr Zelensky discussed continued French military support for Ukraine with President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call this week, according to Zelensky’s office, and a delegation Latvians visited Ukraine on Tuesday to discuss military and humanitarian support.

And on Wednesday, Mr. Zelensky was in Warsaw, where he met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Polish President Andrzej Duda. Both have expressed their support for Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, the hope that the military alliance has been reluctant to fully support, although it has offered significant support to Kyiv.

Ukraine has stepped up its diplomatic efforts as Russia continues its offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

The last of Ukraine’s slim gains during the summer 2023 counter-offensive have been wiped out, according to an assessment by DeepState on Wednesday, an investigative group linked to the Ukrainian military, after The Russian army captured the city of Neskuchne.

Moscow’s army is also advancing in its attempt to encircle the city of Pokrovsk, in eastern Ukraine, from the south.

While Mr Starmer visited Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital was placed under an air raid alert. Moments later, a very loud noise was heard in the sky above the city. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor, said air defenses were working and warned residents to stay in shelters.

Naralia Novosolova and Cassandra Vinograd contributed to the report.