Kyiv and London Prepare to Sign an Agreement on Strategic Relations

A new agreement on strategic relations between the Kyiv and London will be signed during the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to London.

This was stated by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom Vadym Prystaiko.

“It is a huge document. Hundreds of pages. I think the public will be surprised when the document is signed by the leaders. On the table you will see a large stack of papers. This agreement will establish a strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom. It is in fact an agreement on permanent political interaction and trade. This agreement is about the same as we signed the association agreement with the European Union,” the diplomat said.

He noted that the issue of British visas for Ukrainian citizens remains unsatisfactory, but London accepts this, and foreign ministers should discuss this issue separately in the near future.

“Quotas – separately, trade – separately, a high political level of cooperation is also a great background for the migration part. The process is sensitive to the domestic policies of both Ukraine and Britain. But at least we can talk about the simplification of those procedures that most annoy Ukrainians,” Prystaiko added.

Earlier, the Press Service of the Office of the President of Ukraine announced that the Head of State and his wife will pay an official visit to the United Kingdom on 7-8 October. During the visit, the Head of State is scheduled to hold talks with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, after which the Ukrainian-British Agreement on Political Cooperation, Free Trade, and Strategic Partnership will be signed.

A number of documents related to cooperation in the field of defense and financial support of bilateral projects are also planned to be signed. In particular, the possibility of signing a memorandum on the construction of missile boats in Ukraine was reported.

There are no ships of this type in Ukraine at all now, although they are a key link that can provide resistance to aggression from the sea.

Bohdan Marusyak