Friends, it is a privilege to join you today. I have been to Ukraine many many times. After the Maidan Revolution, I came to visit friends, I came just a few weeks before the full-scale invasion, and I have been to Ukraine every year since, underlining the support of the United Kingdom. The relationship between our two nations has become ever closer. I am talking to you today as the bonds between us grow stronger sti...
Friends, it is a privilege to join you today. I have been to Ukraine many many times. After the Maidan Revolution, I came to visit friends, I came just a few weeks before the full-scale invasion, and I have been to Ukraine every year since, underlining the support of the United Kingdom. The relationship between our two nations has become ever closer. I am talking to you today as the bonds between us grow stronger still. Before I begin my speech, I have been asked to convey the following message on behalf His Majesty the King, he writes: As we celebrate the first anniversary of the 100-Year Partnership between the United Kingdom and Ukraine, I do pray that the flourishing bonds between our two countries may bring some hope and moral support at this most difficult time. Ukraine’s most valiant strength in the face of such appalling hardship and pain is an extraordinary example to the world, and I am constantly impressed by the sheer bravery, courage and resilience shown by the Ukrainian people. As we also look ahead to the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of your beloved country – a time of great anguish, I know, for many families across Ukraine and the world – my wife and I continue to keep you all in our heartfelt thoughts and prayers. I wish, above all, to convey my profound hope that Ukraine can achieve a just and lasting peace that safeguards its security, sovereignty and prosperity, in a way that Ukrainians deserve. We stand with you. And that is from His Majesty the King. Well, I could not agree more with His Majesty’s sentiments, which is why I want to start my own remarks by acknowledging the people of this great country. Those defending your country on the frontline. Those keeping your communities going, under such profound fire. Despite the brutality raining down from the sky, you stand firm. Despite bombs that rip through hospitals meant to heal, schools meant to teach, homes meant to shelter – you stand firm. Through nights filled with terror, mornings that reveal ruin, and the unbearable act of burying your own – you stand firm. The world is humbled by your courage – but we must not forget your humanity. Intensifying Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands without heat and power. That could have deadly consequences during these very harsh winter months, particularly for the most vulnerable. So, today I can announce that the United Kingdom will commit a further £20 million of support – to keep the lights on and make sure heating is available for millions of families, children and the elderly people who have already lost so much. The sacrifices Ukrainians are making every day speak to something much wider: the idea that nations have the right to choose their own path and that freedom is worth defending, even when there is a high cost. Taras Shevchenko understood that truth long before this war. He insisted that a nation certain of its identity will always endure and that a people’s spirit cannot be extinguished. Because it lives in their culture and their courage. That idea endures today. It is visible in the defence of Ukraine. In the resilience of its people. And in your determination to shape your own future. I am honoured to stand with you. Vladimir Putin and his war are not of course a historical aberration. He draws on a tsarist tradition—the imperialism and authoritarianism of Peter the Great or Nicholas I—and a Soviet tradition. He is, after all, a KGB agent who operates by deception. It was an American diplomat, George Kennan, whose “long telegram” in 1946 warned of a deep continuity in Kremlin thinking. He argued that the Kremlin would respond only to strength. That was the basis for the policy of containment, as part of which Britain contributed tens of thousands of troops over many years. It was that strength, not paper promises, that deterred Moscow during the Cold War. The Kremlin’s record in modern times speaks to the same story. The Helsinki Final Act of 1975—betrayed. The Budapest memorandum of 1994—betrayed. The NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997—betrayed. And of course the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015—betrayed. This is the foreign policy of lies and we must respond with security guarantees for Ukraine, because that is what is needed to secure a lasting peace and shape our collective security so that Putin never invades again. But unlike Putin we, Britain and Ukraine, know that building a strong country for the future is not based on imperialism. It is based on business. Trade. Cooperation with other countries. Freedom. Democracy. And the UK is honoured to be in a 100-Year Partnership with Ukraine. Almost a year ago to the day, it was my pleasure as Foreign Secretary to set out the detail of that treaty in the UK Parliament. As I said at the time, it enshrines both sides’ commitment to a relationship benefitting the whole of our nations: business, Government, communities, the military. The 100-Year Partnership commits the UK to maintaining pressure until Ukraine prevails – and Russia stops its violations of Ukraine’s sovereign and territorial integrity. It reaffirms our support for Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations – to build on peace and stability well beyond the war. Because a partnership measured in a century is about acknowledging that our futures are tied together. And standing by our commitments to each other, no matter the circumstances. Just as Shevchenko’s words endured beyond the moment in which they were written, so too must the relationship between our two countries. Since we signed the 100-Year Partnership Agreement last year, we have built one of the closest bilateral relationships in Europe. Through Ukrainian battlefield innovation and UK industrial capacity, we are strengthening both our militaries and shaping how defence will work for decades to come. But we are also laying the foundations for shared growth, the growth of our economies. British and Ukrainian businesses are working together on energy resilience and infrastructure – to build Ukraine and to create stronger, more modern economies in both of our nations. The 100-Year Partnership is about sharing responsibility, and sharing our future – because we are stronger together. The key to a great partnership is understanding. That is why a school twinning programme is part of the agreement between us. Initially linking 50 UK schools with 50 Ukrainian schools, ensuring students remain connected to the world – no matter how much Russia tries to isolate Ukraine. And it allows young people in both our countries to learn from one another. The twinning programme was so popular, it attracted more than 750 applications from schools. As such, it was expanded back in December with 30 more schools twinned. And today I’m pleased to announce that a further 150 schools in each country will have the chance to participate in the scheme over the next three years. The concept of exchanging knowledge really sits at the heart of the 100-Year Partnership. UK and Ukrainian legal professionals have been working together for a number of years now – the main focus up to this point has rightly been on how justice can be secured for past Russian atrocities. But today, we are looking to the future – at how the law can be a conduit for growth. As Ukraine looks beyond this war, the question is how to build the kind of justice system that is central to any vibrant democracy’s success. One that gives people and importantly businesses the confidence to trade. That is why my Government is today pledging to work with some of our best judicial expertise to train Ukrainian judges – to help further their skills in resolving commercial disputes fairly and efficiently. The aim is to give international investors greater legal certainty – to contribute to an even stronger investment culture in Ukraine and support economic growth. Because justice cannot be an abstract concept – it must have tangible outcomes. This new initiative will serve both the Ukrainian people and those from around the world lining up to invest in Ukraine – to the mutual benefit of everyone involved. And then we’ve got the idea of shared success behind our enhanced agreement on procurement. The UK and Ukraine will sign a new Memorandum of Understanding, reaffirming our joint ambition for Ukraine’s public procurement reforms. As well as supporting your reform agenda, it will further the aim of attracting increased international trade and investment – including as it rebuilds from the damage caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine’s reconstruction will be one of the greatest national renewal efforts of our time – of course it will be led by Ukrainians, for Ukraine’s future. And the UK wants to be a part of that future – British businesses working alongside Ukrainian partners to build a stronger Ukraine of the future and rebuilding Ukraine. Building homes that are greener and cheaper to run – benefitting both the environment and the Ukrainian people alike for years to come. One of the many areas where Ukrainian expertise is benefitting the UK is drones. Throughout the war, you have had to innovate under fire – to counter the devastating impact of drones on your cities and infrastructure. In the UK, that same technology poses a threat to our justice system – with drones used to deposit drugs and weapons in our prisons in the United Kingdom. Fuelling addiction and violence, both of which put prison staff at risk and prevent them from rehabilitating offenders. I am incredibly grateful to the Ukrainian government, for agreeing to share your battlefield expertise that will enable us to clampdown on illicit drones in our country – so that we can protect the British people from harm. Thank you very much indeed. Before I close, I want to acknowledge the international context at this moment. We are living through a time of global instability. But the reality is this – Ukraine’s fight is not diminished by the existence of other challenges across the world. The UK’s support for Ukraine does not change with the circumstances. It is grounded in principle - and the belief that what you are defending matters to European security and to the world. Your courage reminds the world that freedom is never guaranteed. It must be renewed. And it must be defended. In that endeavour, Ukraine has never backed down. So I want to end where I began – with the people of Ukraine. Shevchenko wrote for a future he would never see – trusting others would carry forward the values in which he believed. A 100-Year Partnership is, at the heart, a similar act of trust. A promise to this generation and to the next. That as we work together in both our interests. We will never compromise on our values: Freedom. Democracy. And the rule of law. The United Kingdom is proud to make that promise alongside the people of Ukraine – today, tomorrow, and throughout our 100-Year Partnership. Slava Ukraini. Thank you very much.
Speech Brief