UK and Ukraine sign symbolic '100 Year partnership' as British PM Starmer pledges to put Kyiv 'strongest possible position'
Business Insider5 days
UK's Starmer Pens 100-Year Partnership Deal With Ukraine
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Above: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose ahead of their bilateral talks in front of Mariinskyi Palace on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Image copyright: Carl Court/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Sir Keir Starmer traveled to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Thursday, marking his first trip to the war-torn country as British prime minister.
Starmer visited a hospital that specialized in treating burns victims before meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a wreath-laying ceremony for fallen soldiers. Shortly after its conclusion, air raid sirens were heard and a single drone exploded in the city.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This is a landmark agreement that formalizes Britain's relationship with Ukraine and commits the UK to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a sovereign Ukraine for the next century. It ensures that the country is never again vulnerable to the kind of brutality inflicted on it by Russia over the last three years.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's well known that Britain's parliament and prime minister cannot bind the actions of its successors. So apart from some nice-sounding prose, this agreement offers very little to Ukraine and certainly doesn't come close to offering them any meaningful solutions to the problems they face.
