British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was due in Warsaw on January 17 for talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk after making his first visit to Ukraine since becoming prime minister and signing a 100-year partnership agreement.
Britain and Poland are expected to start work on a new defense and security agreement during Starmer’s visit, Starmer's office said in a statement.
"The treaty will support our militaries to work more closely together to protect Europe from Russian aggression and do more to tackle disinformation and hybrid threats. It will also see the two nations work together to smash the people smuggling gangs, secure our energy supplies, and protect our infrastructure," the statement said.
Starmer said it’s time to “take our partnership to the next level” in light of “ever-increasing threats to Europe’s security” from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression to “vile people smuggling gangs.”
Starmer said in Kyiv on January 16 that any deal to end the war in Ukraine must "guarantee" Ukraine's security and independence.
The visit was the latest meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and top officials of Ukraine's allies before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.
Zelenskiy met later on January 16 with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp. The Ukrainian president expressed gratitude to the two countries for their support.
Ukraine and other European countries have been unsettled by Trump’s claim that he could end the war swiftly after his inauguration. They are concerned that a hastily drafted deal could force Ukraine to give up territory to Russia in exchange for peace.
Trump’s position on Ukraine has also stoked fears in Kyiv and Europe that his administration will cut vital U.S. military aid.
Starmer said he would "work with all of our allies" to ensure any settlement would be "robust enough to guarantee Ukraine's security, guarantee any possible peace, and deter any future aggression."
Britain has been one of Ukraine's biggest military backers, pledging £12.8 billion ($15.6 billion) in military and civilian aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Under the 100-year partnership agreement, London and Kyiv pledged to "deepen defense cooperation" and boost Ukraine's defense industry, recognizing it as a "future NATO ally.”
Starmer hailed it as a “a new partnership between the U.K. and Ukraine that reflects the huge affection that exists between our two nations."
After signing the agreement, Starmer said Britain would also discuss with allies deploying peacekeeping troops to Ukraine to help guarantee security following any cease-fire with Russia. The proposal has been put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has discussed it with Zelenskiy.
"We will be discussing this with a number of allies, including of course President Macron, including President Zelenskiy here today, and we will play our full part," he said.
Zelenskiy hailed the 100-year accord, saying he hoped for similar agreements with other allies.
"Relations between Ukraine and the U.K. are now closer than ever," he said in his evening address.