On Thursday, January 16, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer signed an agreement on the centennial cooperation between the two countries.

The document was published on the website of the President.

The agreement aims to “launch a 100-year partnership, building on the progress made under other bilateral agreements, as well as further achievements that have strengthened relations between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, and ensuring that a century from now, Ukraine and the United Kingdom will have prosperous ties in all sectors.”

During the joint press conference, Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced that the countries agreed to continue providing annual military assistance and expand the training program for the Ukrainian military.

The United Kingdom will also expand cooperation in the field of long-range weapons, as well as the development and production of weapons.

Details of the centennial agreement

The new international agreement touches on many areas of state existence, such as the economy, education, trade relations, and justice. However, it is worth paying special attention to a number of security arrangements of the agreement.

According to the first article of the agreement, the parties will deepen defense cooperation, strengthen their military and defense-industrial capabilities, including the development of the armed forces and cooperation between defense-industrial bases, and strengthen Ukraine’s defense procurement system.

The countries will exchange technologies for the joint production of defense products (in particular, through joint initiatives), paying special attention to innovation and strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights for transferred technologies, and will align them with NATO requirements.

The second article concerns reaching a consensus on Ukraine’s membership in NATO. The countries will develop areas of importance to Euro-Atlantic peace and stability, recognizing Ukraine’s important role in protecting Euro-Atlantic security and paying particular attention to interoperability and Ukraine’s contribution as a future NATO ally.

The third article describes building a maritime security partnership in which countries will work together to address long-term systemic threats and challenges to maritime security in the Baltic, Black, and Azov Seas.

The seventh article defines cooperation in the field of cyber threats, guaranteeing deeper cooperation in countering foreign information interference and developing effective disruptive solutions in response to threats.

The eighth article of the agreement aims to strengthen the countries’ positions as leaders in science, technology, and innovation.