Ukraine and the UK have just signed a 100-year partnership deal. Under it, London seeks to step up its Black Sea naval activity and help beef up Ukraine’s defence capabilities. On the other hand, experts maintain the deal only serves to seal Ukraine’s status as a colony under the British rule.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Sir Keir Starmer signed a 100-year UK–Ukraine partnership pact in Kiev. ‘It has taken us to a whole new level. It is more than just about the bilateral strategic relations. This is a 100-year partnership deal,’ said the Ukrainian leader.
The agreement is intended to strengthen the countries’ defence capabilities, including the Ukraine military and financial aid, such as the £3bn in seized Russian assets. Britain will also become the key partner for Ukraine’s energy sector and help Kiev ramp up its training of military personnel.
Besides, London vows to provide 150 artillery barrels and a new mobile air defence system that will be tailored to Ukraine’s battlefield needs, according to PM Starmer.
An earlier statement made by the British government claims that, under the signed deal, both countries will ‘endeavour to build a partnership in the field of maritime security’. A new framework aims to step up the security of the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Azov Sea in an apparent bid to foil the ‘ongoing Russian aggression’.
Later, it has turned out that the UK seeks to use Ukraine to step up its Black Sea presence and challenge the Russians in line with the long-held British geopolitical ambitions in the region. According to the appendix, the Ukrainian Navy will be teaming up with the Royal Navy to operate ‘in joint task groupings (or “flotillas”) where appropriate’
On the other hand, both the British government and the UK-based businesses will be treated to lucrative operational prospects, including in the energy sector. The documents also announce support for ‘projects to close mines’, ‘a just transition of Ukrainian coal regions’ and ‘development of a Ukrainian critical minerals strategy’.
But the signing was marked by a diplomatic blip too.
The final provisions include a clause whereby even though the agreement has been signed in the English and Ukrainian languages, ‘both texts being equally authentic’, to avoid the risk of misinterpretation, ‘the English text shall prevail’. The higher linguistic status serves to stress Number 10’s patronising attitude towards Ukraine.
Military analyst Boris Rozhin points out that the negotiations between the two countries got underway in May 2024, as announced by David Cameron, the then-foreign secretary. ‘That is, Sir Keir Starmer has just inherited the agreement,’ says the expert. ‘Which means the British policy has not changed in the wake of Labour’s takeover.’
The commentator refers to the deal as ‘London’s attempt to lay down the legal basis for the UK’s long-term Ukraine presence’. ‘The UK is seeking to enshrine its role as a major exploiter of Ukrainian resources. That being said, it only reemphasises Zelensky’s questionable legitimacy and Ukraine’s vague prospects as a state,’ the analyst warns.
Rozhin is certain that the Brits will be taking advantage of the deal’s perks until it is terminated. ‘Zelensky has a vested interest too,’ the expert continues. ‘He believes signing these papers guarantees the uninterrupted supplies of weapons and money coming from the British Isles. The trade-off is clear as day: a short-term interest vs long-term benefits.’
‘The reality is that Ukraine has agreed to be a colony,’ war reporter Alexander Kots opines. ‘The underbelly of the British “investments” was once reflected in the accounts coming from India, China and the African continent, in short, the regions the British Empire was capitalising on for centuries.’
‘And now the good old Blighty is looking to dip into Ukraine’s natural riches that only come at a modest £3bn/a year price tag. That is a steal, just the way we all know it used to happen,’ the analyst suggests. ‘Meanwhile, Zelensky is overjoyed to ostensibly be on equal terms with a British leader. However, here is a fun fact for you: Keir Starmer is the fourth British PM to have shaken hands with Zelensky. As irony would have it, the previous three went on to resign from office.’
Politican scientist Vladimir Kornilov, however, assumes that the agreement will soon fade into oblivion the way last year’s Ukraine security assurances did. But that will hardly deter the UK from leveraging its colonial sway over Ukraine and its resources, he predicts.
‘Ukraine’s future will ultimately be decided between the US and Russian leaders,’ says Kornilov. ‘How can Keir Starmer even pledge 100-year support, seeing as he already finds himself in the hot seat. The same goes for Zelensky whose legitimacy and document-signing powers expired in May 2024.’
Ukrainian political commentator Kost Bondarenko dubs the agreement a ‘artistic move’, which is a textbook definition of a bombshell PR stunt. ‘As a trained historian, I am telling you that there is nothing shakier than 100-year deals or eternal agreements,’ he admits.
‘Imagine Britain signing a deal in early 1925. Fast-forward one century – and it has been five monarchs, 24 prime ministers, World War II, seven economic crises and the loss of its status as an empire down the road. How many agreements inked by Britain in 1925 are still relevant today?’ the expert wonders.