Russia Ukraine war latest: Starmer pledges new air defence system as Putin’s drones threaten his Kyiv visit – UK Times

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Britain has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine, with prime minister Keir Starmer’s predecessors visiting Kyiv in the early days of their tenure.

As the war against Russia approaches its three-year mark, Ukraine is on the backfoot on the frontlines. Ukrainian forces are suffering from manpower shortages and losing ground in the eastern Donetsk region as Russia’s troops continue their advance.

It took a little longer for Sir Keir to make the trip, but he comes armed with a 100-year partnership with Kyiv to deepen security and cultural ties.

The treaty and political declaration aims to boost military cooperation to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov and deter Russian aggression.

The treaty will also cover areas such as energy, critical minerals and green steel production, the prime minister’s office said.

“Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure,” Sir Keir said in a statement. “Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level.”

Britain has provided £12.8bn in support to Ukraine since in 2022, a sum dwarfed by Washington’s $63.5bn in security assistance, underscoring the importance of Donald Trump’s actions over Ukraine.

The partnership announced yesterday, which provides £40m for Ukraine’s economic recovery, includes additional support around grain verification and trade with Ukraine’s thriving technology sector that has produced battle-ready equipment.

Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and the Central African Republic have been named as among the most dangerous countries to visit from an extreme security risk perspective, according to a risk map compiled by security and health risk services company, International SOS.

Also on the list were Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine.

Countries that have a “high” security risk (one below an “extreme” security risk) include: Mali, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Venezuela, Haiti and Honduras.

Scott Bessent, president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for treasury secretary, said he “100 per cent” supports raising sanctions on Russian oil producers if the future president requests doing so.

Mr Bessent told US senators on the Senate Finance Committee that he believes the Russian sanctions from the Biden administration “were not fulsome enough.”

“I think if any officials in the Russian Federation are watching this confirmation hearing, they should know that if I’m confirmed, and if President Trump requests as part of his strategy to end the Ukraine war, that I will be 100 per cent on board with taking sanctions up – especially on the Russian oil majors – to levels that would bring the Russian Federation to the table,” Mr Bessent said.

He also said “the tragedy going on in Ukraine is one of the greatest tragedies of my adult life, and ending that as soon as possible – and any role that Treasury can play in that, if confirmed, I would like to do.”

The incoming US president Donald Trump could risk violating international law – as well as sending a “chilling” message to aggressors around the world – if he forces Ukraine to give up territory as part of a peace deal with Russia, human rights lawyers have warned.

What to do about Ukraine will be one of the most pressing questions facing Mr Trump when he returns to the White House on Monday, having promised to end the war in a day. His campaign advisers are already slowly backtracking from that particular promise.

But there are limits to that support: we are not prepared to commit British troops to the defence of Ukraine and, while we believe that the Ukrainians should be supplied with long-range missiles, we are wary of anything that looks as if Nato members are being drawn into direct conflict with Russian forces.

The Independent has, since its founding, been resolute in its support of human rights, self-determination and national security. It has always argued that democracies must be prepared to take military action as a last resort in defence of those principles. We supported – with reservations – the aerial campaign against Slobodan Milosevic’s forces to protect the people of Kosovo from “ethnic cleansing”. And we opposed the US-British invasion of Iraq because we thought the cost would be too high for any good that removing Saddam Hussein would do.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock indirectly criticised chancellor Olaf Scholz for his reluctance to approve a further €3bn ($3.09bn; £2.5bn) in additional military aid for Ukraine.

“To be honest, it hurts me a lot,” she said without mentioning the chancellor’s name in an interview with Politico released today, adding that for some politicians gaining a few votes was more important than securing Europe’s peace and freedom.

Ms Baerbock said in the interview that for her, responsible politics means not to blow with the wind, then act the other way around in election campaigns, adding that Mr Scholz’s behaviour also harmed the trust of the European allies in Germany.

Earlier this week, Scholz said he had suggested expanding the currently earmarked €12bn (£10.1bn) for this year, but the additional money must not be provided at the cost of cutting social spending.

Ms Baerbock’s Greens party and Mr Scholz’s SPD party are currently partners in the minority government after the ruling coalition collapsed in November, but both parties are also competing in the snap elections on 23 February.

Sir Keir Starmer is considering plans to send British troops into Ukraine to act as peacekeepers in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

The trip saw the prime minister seizing the international agenda just days before Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term as US president on Monday with a plan to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.