Cameron comes to Kyiv with a proposal for a 100-year partnership

3 May 2024 12:38

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv. The visit took place yesterday, but it became known only on the night of Friday, 3 May, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports

The first to report Cameron’s visit was Reuters, which published a short interview with the minister on the grounds of his trip. In this interview, Cameron voiced two messages.

Firstly, the Minister promised that the UK would annually allocate £3 billion ($3.74 billion) to Ukraine. And it will do so “as long as it takes”.

“We will provide three billion pounds every year for as long as it takes. We’ve just exhausted all we can with the equipment,” he said,

– he said, adding that the latest aid package was the largest.

“Some of that equipment is actually arriving in Ukraine today while I’m here.”

– he added.

Cameron also said that Ukraine has the right to use the weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia.

“Ukraine has that right. When you look at the Russian strikes on Ukraine, you understand why Ukraine feels the need to defend itself,”

– Cameron said.

Speaking about the meeting, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the weapons from the aid package announced by the UK should arrive as soon as possible. He also focused on preparations for important international events to be held soon, including the Global Peace Summit.

The meeting was also reported by the British Embassy in Ukraine. The embassy’s Facebook page says that Cameron has also confirmed £36 million in aid for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including £20 million in emergency funding to help rebuild after the recent wave of attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. 16 million has been earmarked for the winners of the Innovate Ukraine innovation project competition.

In addition to this, the embassy said that the two sides are preparing a new major agreement, designed to last for 100 years.

“The Minister has begun negotiations with Ukraine on a 100-year partnership – a new agreement that will build strong ties between our two countries across the full range of relations: from trade, security and defence, to science and technology, education, culture and much more,”