Ukraine and the UK signed the Agreement on Security Cooperation
The treaty was the first in the field of security to implement the agreements reached during the NATO Summit in Vilnius between Ukraine, members of the G7 group, and the states that joined them.
Agreement on Security Cooperation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland and Ukraine was signed on January 12, during the visit of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Ukraine.
“Today is a day when the history of Europe has changed. Ukraine and the United Kingdom have signed a new unprecedented security agreement. This is not simply a declaration. This is a reality that will come to fruition as a result of our cooperation, including security commitments from a major global power, the United Kingdom,” stated Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine.
With this Agreement, the UK and Ukraine have decided to deepen their cooperation and partnership, which is based on their common interests in the defence of international law and order, peace, and the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms.
The document contains sections on defence and military cooperation, non-military security, political cooperation, fiscal support, recovery and reconstruction, humanitarian cooperation, and reforms in Ukraine.
The Agreement also includes a part on cooperation in case of future armed attacks. According to the agreement, in the event of future Russian armed attack against Ukraine, participants will consult within 24 hours to determine the measures needed to counter or deter the aggression. In those circumstances, the UK would provide Ukraine with security assistance, modern military equipment, and economic assistance.
This Agreement is valid for ten years, and if Ukraine joins NATO sooner, the participants will decide on its future status, the document states.
During his visit to Kyiv, Sunak announced a package of military aid for Ukraine worth £2.5 billion, the largest single aid package since the beginning of the full-scale war. It will include additional air defence equipment, anti-tank weapons, long-range missiles, and thousands of projectiles, as well as training for thousands of Ukrainian soldiers.
