Zelenskyy submits 100-year UK-Ukraine partnership agreement for ratification

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted Bill No. 0332 to the Verkhovna Rada for the ratification of a landmark 100-year partnership agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The submission was confirmed via the official website of the Ukrainian parliament, according to the Ukrainian press.

The agreement, signed in January 2025 by President Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, establishes a comprehensive and long-term partnership across a broad spectrum of areas, including trade, security, defence, science, education, culture, and technology.

“Today is truly a historic day. Relations between Ukraine and the United Kingdom are closer than ever. We have reached a new level; this is more than a strategic relationship. We have signed an agreement on a 100-year partnership,” Zelenskyy said at the signing ceremony earlier this year.

A central focus of the agreement is strengthening military cooperation—particularly in maritime security—through the creation of new structures aimed at enhancing security in the Baltic, Black, and Azov Seas. These measures are intended to bolster Ukraine's defences and counter ongoing Russian aggression in the region.

The partnership also outlines joint initiatives in science and technology, including collaboration in healthcare innovation, agricultural technologies, space exploration, and drone development. In the educational sector, the agreement promotes academic cooperation and cultural exchange, aiming to deepen bilateral ties between Ukrainian and British institutions and societies.

To address the issue of illegal grain exports from territories temporarily occupied by Russian forces, the agreement introduces a British-led verification mechanism to track and prevent such activity.

Beyond defence and trade, the United Kingdom commits to supporting Ukraine as a key partner in energy development, the extraction of critical resources, and the production of environmentally sustainable “green” steel.

According to a statement from the British government, the agreement represents a commitment to joint action on the global stage, strengthening economic ties and cultural cooperation. “From working together on the world stage to overcoming barriers to trade and growth and developing cultural ties, the UK and Ukraine will stand up for each other to renew, rebuild, and reform for future generations,” the statement read.

The British government also emphasised the long-term security dimension of the agreement, describing it as “an important step in supporting Ukraine's long-term security” and a guarantee that Ukraine “will never again be vulnerable to the cruelty inflicted on it by the Russian Federation.” The agreement confirms the UK's pledge to stand with sovereign Ukraine for the next century.

By Tamilla Hasanova