In the intensive care unit, the prime minister saw people with burns on up to 80 percent of their bodies. Later, he saw a former soldier with red burn scars covering his back, left shoulder and arm, receiving care from a nurse who helped massage and stretch his skin.
Speaking to media during the trip, Starmer described the injuries he saw as “a grim reminder of the high price Ukraine is paying.”
Zelensky asks
Downing Street officials emphasize that Ukraine is now a leading military power, with a highly skilled armed forces and a technology sector that is rapidly innovating and testing its new equipment on the battlefield over the past three years. This real-life experience of war will also help Britain strengthen its defenses, officials say.
This century-old partnership covers joint work in science, technology and healthcare, as well as agriculture and even education. The treaty includes a new plan to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Britain is working on a system to trace Ukrainian grain stolen from areas occupied by Russia and then resold. The British manufacturing database will be ready and shared with the kyiv government in the coming weeks. There are also promises of collaboration in energy and critical minerals.
The century-old treaty is a new way to send a message at a sensitive time.
But Ukraine wants much more. Zelensky has for years called for NATO membership as the best way to deter Putin, but that still seems far away. The question of what kind of security guarantees Ukraine’s supporters are willing to provide will likely dominate the agenda when peace negotiations finally begin.
This story has been updated.
