In this crucial moment, my message to the people of Ukraine is that you can count on us – now, more than ever.

As I set out in Kyiv in January in the agreement that I signed with President Zelenskyy, we will be there at your side, not just for today or tomorrow, but for the next 100 years.

Russia’s appetite for aggression rebounds on our shores too. So, I am clear that the UK’s security starts in Ukraine.

We must show that the only solution to an unjust war is a just peace – one that upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty and that is backed by real security.

This week, through the agreement with the US in Jeddah, Ukraine showed that it wants peace. Russia must now stop its attacks, once and for all, and show that it’s ready to deliver a ceasefire as well.

Tomorrow morning, I will convene leaders from Europe and around the world with one clear aim: to do everything we can to bring peace closer. And as we do so, I keep in the forefront of my mind the incredible Ukrainian people that I’ve met in recent months.

I think of Dmytro, a veteran I met in hospital in Kyiv – somehow keeping a sense of humour even as he fought to recover from terrible burns.

I think of Petro, injured by shelling in Cherkasy, who told me, rightly: "If Ukraine fails, Europe will be next."

I think of the bereaved civilians I met in Bucha – witnesses to acts of horror and barbarity that we thought had been consigned to the history books.

I think of the school children living under constant bombardment – always ready to flee to their shelter.

I think of Ukrainian soldiers training in the UK, preparing to defend their country on the frontline.

As events accelerate, these voices keep me focused on the fundamentals of what is at stake in Ukraine.

They harden my conviction that

any agreement must not expose Ukraine to further attack and that therefore peace must be backed by strength.

That’s why we must keep the military aid to Ukraine flowing and keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia. And it’s why the UK is doubling down. 

Already this year we have taken our support for Ukraine to record levels. Earlier this month we agreed a new £2.2 billion loan for Ukraine, backed by the profits from frozen Russian assets. In the event of a peace deal we will step up with a coalition of the willing, that is ready to guarantee the peace – and we will keep boosting Ukraine’s own capabilities so that the country can become strong enough to deter any future attack.

We all want to see peace – and I am determined that it must be the kind of peace that the heroes of Ukraine deserve. One that brings a just and permanent end to the war and that allows Ukraine to thrive and enjoy its freedom – in control of its own future. That is what I’m focused on. That’s what I know President Zelenskyy is focused on. And that’s what we will deliver, together.

Slava Ukraini!

Sir Keir Starmer, British Prime Minister

exclusively for European Pravda

Friday, 14 March 2025