Sir Keir Starmer met Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday for his final visit to Ukraine as Prime Minister, hours after Russian strikes killed two people and injured six, including a teenager. The meeting came on Starmer's last full day as Labour leader, with Andy Burnham set to take over at a special conference on Friday and enter Downing Street on Monday.
Starmer pledges enduring support
At the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv, Zelensky thanked Starmer and the UK “for their unwavering respect for our warriors” who had “made the ultimate sacrifice to defend Ukraine and all of Europe.” Starmer used the trip to reassure Zelensky that Britain's support would continue under his successor, stating that the UK's “cast-iron support for Ukraine will always endure.”
“Throughout this conflict, I have seen the incredible fortitude of the Ukrainian people and the iron will of a nation that refuses to be cowed,” Starmer said. “Their stand has not only defended its own freedom, it has preserved the security of Europe.”
Final week focused on Ukraine
Starmer spent much of his final week in office on Ukraine, including a Monday trip to Paris for a meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” where he announced the UK would join the EU’s 90 billion euro (£78 billion) loan to Kyiv. His tenure has been marked by strong support for Ukraine, including signing a 100-year partnership and leading plans for a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire.
