British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kiev on Thursday, for the first time since he took office, to sign a landmark 100-year partnership agreement with Ukraine, the British government said.
"Putin's ambition to wrench Ukraine away for its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. Instead, we are closer than ever and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level," Starmer said ahead of the visit. The century-long treaty will cover areas including defense, science, energy and trade and will see both sides cooperating on maritime security against Russian activity in the Baltic, Black and Azov seas. The partnership will "bring together experts to advance scientific and technology partnerships, in areas such as healthcare and disease, agri-tech, space and drones, and build lifelong friendships through classroom projects," the UK government said.
Additionally, a new "Grain Verification Scheme" will be launched, aiming to track "stolen grain from occupied Ukrainian territories."
