The British prime minister’s visit to Kyiv, his first since taking office in July, caps a week of hurried diplomatic activity by Ukraine’s NATO allies, keen to prove their commitment as uncertainty hangs over the incoming Trump administration.
The “100-year partnership” – the centerpiece of Keir Starmer’s visit – did have an air of a PR stunt about it in a country that has no idea what will happen in one year, and the text of the agreement didn’t offer anything revolutionary. The UK is already the third biggest military donor to Ukraine (though it’s given just over 10% of what the US has) and the two countries inked a bilateral security cooperation agreement last year. The 100-year deal adds maritime security, social integration, and a new UK program to track stolen grain to the slate, but none of those comes close to the security guarantees Ukraine is looking for, a point Starmer indirectly acknowledged. “We will work with you and all of our allies on steps that would be robust enough to guarantee Ukraine’s security,” he promised in a press conference in Kyiv.
Ukraine is on the clock here. The Institute for the Study of War estimates Russia gained more than 4,000 square kilometers of territory in 2024 (some of it retaken from Ukrainian forces in its own Kursk region), more than 10 times its total gains in 2023, though it came at significant manpower cost. The Trump administration has made clear it will push for a diplomatic solution that may involve Ukraine accepting these losses.
And so “peace through strength,” as Starmer posted on X Thursday, has become the refrain. In other words, try to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, economically, politically and militarily, to negotiate. The same motto was in used in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday when President Volodymyr Zelensky met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who promised to accelerate Ukraine’s path to EU membership. Germany, Ukraine’s second biggest military backer, sent its defense minister to Kyiv Tuesday, with the promise of a brand-new artillery system.
Perhaps the strongest signal of support came from French President Emmanuel Macron, who called Zelensky on Monday to discuss, among other things, a French proposal to deploy “military contingents” in Ukraine – European boots on the ground – as a deterrent against any Russian effort to advance further into the country or beyond. “This is an issue that we are all discussing,” said Starmer Thursday, “but it must be capable of deterring future aggression. So that’s the test of any discussion, any conversation that we’re having.”
And perhaps in a sign of the diplomatic challenge ahead, Zelensky and Starmer did not shy away from discussing the elephant in the room – the imminent transfer of power in the US. For Zelensky, who has actively tried to charm the incoming administration in recent weeks, even endorsing Trump’s claim he can end the war quickly, there was no talk of managing without Washington’s help. “We do not consider security guarantees for Ukraine without the United States, so it is too early to talk about the details,” he told reporters.
Starmer took a conciliatory tone, paying tribute to the US contribution so far, and promising: “We can, we will continue to work with the US on this. We are working today. We will work tomorrow.”