Ukraine has officially begun negotiations on a century-long partnership with one of its staunchest military allies, and believes that such farsighted agreements are necessary to protect the country’s borders from future aggression.
On Tuesday, the Presidential Office of Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had “held its first round of negotiations with the United Kingdom on the conclusion of a bilateral agreement on the transition to stronger and deeper partnership.”
The negotiations were headed by Presidential Office Chief Andriy Yermak, who thanked the U.K. for its unwavering support since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
“We are grateful to your people, Government and Parliament for the help and leadership we have been receiving since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion,” Yermak said. “The UK was the first to sign a security agreement with Ukraine, and now it is the first to work on a historic document on 100 years of partnership.”
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment on the partnership, as well as the foreign ministries of Ukraine and the U.K. for further details on the document.
The 100-year partnership, discussed between Ukraine and then-U.K. Foreign David Cameron during his visit to Kyiv in May, will be based on the pair’s 2020 Agreement on Political Cooperation, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership and the 2024 Agreement on Security Cooperation.
The latter, signed in January, formalized the U.K.’s commitment to continually provide Ukraine with the necessary equipment and training to “deter and defend against future attacks,” and was described by the U.K. Government as “the first step in developing an unshakeable hundred-year partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom.”
According to the President’s Office, Yermak emphasized that the country’s continued support is needed to “restore justice peace and prevent new aggression against Ukraine,” and said: “We hope that negotiations will be successful so that this historic document will be signed by the President of Ukraine and the British Prime Minister soon.”
The U.K. has been one of the most significant supporters of Ukraine over the course of the conflict, sitting behind only the U.S., the European Union and Germany in terms of total government support, according to the Kiel Institute.
In mid-July, Zelensky visited the U.K. and sat down with the newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
At their meeting, Zelensky thanked the country for its support, which he said had “repeatedly helped us defend freedom and democracy in Ukraine and greatly supported the Ukrainian people.”
Following their meeting, the U.K. Government said: “It is clear that the war in Ukraine has become one of industrial production. Government and industry are united in our shared commitment to Ukraine and by working together, we are setting the building blocks for our 100-year partnership.”
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