Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Kyiv on Thursday for what is set to be his last visit to Ukraine as Britain's prime minister, arriving to a welcome from Ukrainian officials at the capital's train station ahead of a planned meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky later in the day.
A Farewell Visit With A Message
The trip comes just days before Andy Burnham's installation as Labour leader and prime minister, effectively marking the close of Starmer's own time in Downing Street. In comments released ahead of his arrival, Starmer said the "fortitude" shown by the Ukrainian people since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 had "preserved the security of Europe." That framing turned the trip into something more than a farewell tour, positioning it instead as a reaffirmation of Britain's commitment to Kyiv precisely at the moment when leadership in London is changing hands.
Two Years Of Building Long-Term Ties
In his statement, Starmer set out what he described as Britain's contribution to the Ukrainian war effort across his two years as prime minister. That record includes the signing of a 100-year partnership between the United Kingdom and Ukraine, an agreement aimed at deepening defence and trade cooperation between the two countries well beyond the immediate conflict. Starmer also pointed to his own role in leading international efforts to put together a future peacekeeping force for Ukraine, a project meant to underpin the country's security once active fighting eventually ends. "When I became prime minister, I knew the UK must not simply stand with Ukraine in the moment, but help build the foundations of its long-term security and success," he said.
More Defence Spending And New Technology
Starmer said his government had increased UK investment in defence and had been "leading the way in the war fighting technologies of the future." He argued that this approach had not stayed confined to Britain alone but had pulled allies along with it. "And we have brought others with us on that journey. As we showed at the G7 and Nato summits, in recent weeks, the UK and its allies are absolutely united against Russian aggression," he said, pointing to those recent diplomatic gatherings as proof that Western unity behind Ukraine had held firm even as other political pressures mounted at home and abroad.
New Artillery Barrels Head To The Front
Alongside the political messaging, the visit coincides with a concrete delivery of military hardware. The first of 150 British-made artillery barrels are being provided to Ukraine to strengthen its defences, under a £61m contract with BAE Systems. "I am so proud of what Britain has contributed. That work will continue, and our cast-iron support for Ukraine will always endure," Starmer said in his statement, tying the hardware shipment directly to his broader pledge that support would not lapse once he leaves office.
A Reminder Of The War's Human Cost
The visit also comes against the backdrop of continuing violence in the war. Eight people were killed following Russian attacks on Black Sea oil tankers, a toll that featured in Starmer's remarks as he described conversations meant to underline Britain's solidarity with Ukraine. "I had a meeting with him to tell him that in this country we will stand with him and Ukraine," he said, a comment that underscored the message he was delivering directly to Ukrainian counterparts was one of continuity rather than a goodbye.
A Change Of Leadership At Home
Starmer's own political exit is now on a fixed timetable. His successor, Burnham, is set to become Labour Party leader on Friday and is expected to take over as prime minister on Monday, which means this Kyiv trip is very likely Starmer's last as the UK's head of government. The timing means that whatever commitments Starmer has made on Ukraine now pass to a new leadership team to carry forward. Even so, he insisted in his statement that the "cast-iron" nature of Britain's support for Ukraine was designed to survive any change of prime minister, describing it as a commitment that would "always endure" regardless of who occupies Downing Street next.
