Britain is strengthening its alliance with Ukraine just days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the United States’ new president. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer traveled to Kyiv on Thursday to sign a new pact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, aimed at ensuring enduring economic and defense cooperation over the next century. The agreement seeks to position Ukraine favorably should it need to negotiate peace with Russia, a scenario many observers view as increasingly likely with Trump’s arrival in the White House. The move signals a clear message that Western partners intend to stand by Kyiv through shifting regional dynamics, as noted by multiple outlets covering the visit.
The treaty signed on Thursday includes bolstered security in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov to deter Russian aggression; expanded collaboration in science and technology to improve healthcare, education, and agricultural development; and the creation of a program to track cereals stolen by Russia in Ukrainian-occupied territory. “Putin’s attempt to pull Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. On the contrary, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take our alliance to the next level,” Starmer stated shortly before traveling to Kyiv, according to reports from news outlets familiar with the discussions.
Peace Negotiations
The British prime minister took more than six months to visit the Ukrainian capital, a delay that had raised concerns within Zelensky’s government. Official Kyiv sources cited by British media suggested that relations had cooled since Labour came to power, due to a perceived lack of significant military commitments from the new administration. With this long-term agreement, Starmer aims to send an unequivocal signal of support to Zelensky, even as the reshaping of the U.S. administration has led European governments to acknowledge that Kyiv may need to make concessions to end the conflict.
The discussion of the future U.S. approach to the war has continued domestically as well. Marco Rubio, the incoming U.S. secretary of state for the Trump administration, emphasized that realism must govern any settlement. “There will be concessions from the Russian side, but also from the Ukrainians. It is essential that there be balance between both sides,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Trump has repeatedly suggested a rapid end to the conflict, though details on how this would be achieved remain unspecified.
Shift in Direction
The shift in U.S. policy — historically the main supplier of weapons to Kyiv — has prompted some European partners, including the United Kingdom, to consider sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine once a potential agreement is reached, according to the Daily Telegraph. London has refrained from confirming the possibility. “There are questions about what we could support and what we would be comfortable backing, and broader concerns about the risks faced by those troops and whether that could trigger an escalation,” a government source told the newspaper.
Beyond short-term decisions, the agreement envisions a close UK–Ukraine collaboration over the coming decades. The package includes 40 million pounds to kick-start an economic recovery program designed to unlock private investment, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition to the economic component, the treaty calls for greater educational and cultural exchanges to strengthen the ties between the two nations in the years ahead, underscoring a long-term political and social alignment as both governments seek stability in a turbulent region.