Starmer heads to Kyiv to meet Zelenskyy for final summit as outgoing PM
The Kyiv trip comes just days after Starmer travelled to Paris for a final summit of the Coalition of the Willing, the group he and French President Emmanuel Macron helped create to support Ukraine
Sir Keir Starmer is set to tell Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Britain’s “cast iron support for Ukraine will endure” as he travels to Kyiv on Thursday for a final summit with the Ukrainian president before stepping down as Prime Minister.
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Sir Keir's visit will mark his third to Kyiv since taking office, and is expected to be his final major international trip as prime minister.
He is expected to use the visit to underline the role he believes Britain has played in backing Ukraine, alongside other European allies.
He arrived at a Kyiv train station hours after strikes were reported in the Ukrainian capital.
The PM had travelled into the country by overnight train and was met by Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis and the Directorate General for State Protocol, Olena Yalova.
The city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram that two people had died and six others, including a 16-year-old teenager, had been injured in overnight attacks.
He said: “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.
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“That's why we put the UK at the centre of a stronger Europe – investing more money into defence, leading the way in the warfighting technologies of the future, and doing everything we can to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.”
He added: “I am so proud of what Britain has contributed. That work will continue, and our cast-iron support for Ukraine will always endure.”
The Kyiv trip comes just days after Starmer travelled to Paris for a final summit of the Coalition of the Willing, the group he and French President Emmanuel Macron helped create to support Ukraine.
In one of his final acts in office, Starmer also signed the UK up to a €60 billion EU defence loan scheme, allowing British firms to benefit fully from military orders placed by Kyiv.
He also became the first serving British prime minister to receive France’s highest honour, the Legion d'honneur.
Presenting the award, Macron praised Starmer for “the commitments for obviously our country, but also the security of Europe, Ukraine, and the bilateral relationship”.
Thursday’s trip will be Starmer’s 50th overseas visit in just over two years as prime minister, underlining how heavily his premiership has been shaped by foreign affairs - including the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, Donald Trump’s trade wars and efforts to rebuild UK-EU ties after Brexit.
Allies say his final trip to Kyiv reflects a long-running commitment to Ukraine and one of the clearest foreign policy themes of his time in office, with supporters arguing he helped restore Britain’s influence in Europe and on the world stage.
During his final Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Starmer again raised Ukraine after Kemi Badenoch praised his handling of the war and his relationship with Zelenskyy.
He replied by saying he had made a point of inviting the Ukrainian president to Downing Street in early 2025 after he was criticised by Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Starmer has, however, faced criticism over the amount of time he has devoted to international affairs, with some MPs accusing him of neglecting domestic politics and earning him the nickname “never here Keir”.
The Prime Minister has rejected that criticism, arguing that global instability cannot be separated from life at home, with wars feeding through into higher energy, food and fuel prices for British households.
He told the BBC earlier this month that his successor would probably have to spend just as much time dealing with international crises.
During Thursday’s talks, Starmer is expected to tell Zelenskyy that while he is leaving office, the UK’s support for Ukraine will continue.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss where international backing should now be focused to ensure Ukraine has the support it needs as the war enters its fifth year.
As part of the visit, Starmer is also expected to set out the support the UK has given over the past two years, making it a central part of his legacy as prime minister.
He is expected to confirm £3 billion a year in military support for Ukraine “for as long as it takes”, and highlight Britain’s role in the 34-country Coalition of the Willing and its co-leadership of the Defence Contact Group, which coordinates international military support for Kyiv.
This is a breaking story.