Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 March 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the leaders of Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland this morning.

The Prime Minister applauded the progress the European Union had made at the European Council yesterday, saying it was a historic step forward and another sign of Europe stepping up.

Closer collaboration between the European Union, its partners and our combined defence industrial base was vital as Europe stepped up to counter egregious Russian aggression, the Prime Minister added.

Updating on the intensive diplomacy between the US, UK, France and Ukraine, the Prime Minister welcomed the potential for peace talks in Saudi Arabia next week.

The leaders also discussed the Coalition of the Willing and looked ahead to the Chiefs of Defence meeting in Paris on Tuesday. It would be another important moment to drive forward planning, they agreed.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 March 2025.

The Prime Minister hosted Eli Sharabi in Downing Street this morning.

The Prime Minister began by saying how pleased he was to see Eli, and paid tribute to his phenomenal courage and bravery. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to Eli on the loss of his wife, Lianne, daughters Noiya and Yahel, and brother Yossi.

Hearing firsthand about his 16-month ordeal, the Prime Minister said he could not begin to imagine what Eli had been through.

It was a brutal reminder of what the remaining hostages were enduring, the Prime Minister said.

The UK would redouble its intensive work, at all levels, to secure the release of the remaining 59 hostages, the Prime Minister added.

All efforts needed to focus on full implementation of the remaining phases of the ceasefire and reuniting the remaining hostages with their loved ones, the Prime Minister said.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 March 2025.

National security, growth and energy security will be top of the agenda at the first annual UK-Ireland Summit tomorrow as the Prime Minister underscores the importance of delivering for the people of the UK.

National security, growth and energy security will be top of the agenda at the first annual UK-Ireland Summit tomorrow as the Prime Minister underscores the importance of delivering for the people of the UK.

The meeting comes after the Prime Minister hosted 18 leaders in London on Sunday where he reiterated the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine and European security.    As part of that commitment, tomorrow the two leaders will announce closer collaboration on energy security to harness the full potential of the Irish and Celtic seas.

Through a new data sharing arrangement, the UK and Irish governments will lay the groundwork for commercial developers to increase offshore energy by cutting red tape and minimising the burden of maritime and environmental consent processes for developers.

This will speed up developments and mobilise investments in offshore energy infrastructure.

This new collaboration will increase renewable energy production and enhance the UK’s energy security, delivering on this Government’s Plan for Change.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Energy security and national security are two sides of the same coin, that is why we must work with our allies and partners across the world to protect the hardworking British people from external factors driving up household bills.

As our closest neighbour our partnership with Ireland is testament to the importance of working with international partners to deliver for people at home.

Now more than ever we must work with likeminded partners in the pursuit of global peace, prosperity and security.

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister and Taoiseach will host a joint business roundtable with industry leaders and businesses across tech, finance, clean energy, manufacturing and construction from the UK and Ireland. The discussion will focus on potential opportunities for growth and investment, and how the UK and Ireland can work together to build an even more resilient and successful trading relationship.   They will also discuss how both countries can work closer together on renewable energy, tech, AI and security.

As part of tomorrow’s summit, the UK has welcomed new Irish investments worth £185.5 million creating 2,540 jobs across the country from Version 1, Applegreen, Omniplex, Galvia, Buymedia, Uniquely, Walsh Mushrooms and PM Group. From Evesham to Edinburgh, new investments show confidence in the UK as an attractive place to invest and delivers on the government’s Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth.

The UK will also announce that W.H. Davis, part of Buckland Group, has won a £100 million contract with Irish Rail supporting their investment in railway infrastructure in Ireland.

Ireland is the UK’s 6th largest trading partner with the trading relationship worth nearly £80 billion last year across sectors including renewable energy, life sciences, creative industries and tech.

Tomorrow’s events follow a cultural reception hosted by the Prime Minister and Taoiseach this evening, with representatives from both the UK and Ireland showcasing the world-class talent on both sides of the Irish sea.

After the summit, the Prime Minister will travel to a defence company to meet employees and apprentices working in the national security sector.

Visit comes after the Prime Minister’s landmark announcement made last week on increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027.

In 2023-24, defence spending supported over 430,000 jobs across the UK, the equivalent to one in every 60, with 16,900 in the North West.

Additional information

• Version 1, a Dublin-based, digital transformation leader plans to invest around £40m in the UK in the next few years, through technology hubs across London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester andEdinburgh and the addition of 1000 AI-related roles.
• Applegreen owners of Welcome Break – Motorway service area along the A46 in Hickling, Nottinghamshire – £15 million development. The project has generated over 175 construction jobs andis set to create over 150 long-term jobs for the local community upon opening. Commitment of further UK investments exceeding £85 million over the next 24 months. These planned investments are anticipated to create around 900 jobs for local communities.
• Omniplex – Following its initial 2023 announcement to invest £22.5million and acquire 5 UK cinemas in Birmingham, Clydebank, High Wycombe, Sutton and Ipswich, also acquired 2 further sites in Sunderland and Wigan and is now planning to upgrade all 7 of its cinemas. The combined additional investments will total £13.5million over the next 3 years bringing the total amount to £36million.
• Galvia an enterprise AI platform that drives business growth – Opening an office in Manchester at Manchester’s new £1.7bn science and technology innovation district. The company will invest £500,000 and employ 10 staff over the next 3 years.
• Buymedia, An AI-powered advertising specialist, is opening an office in Manchester at Manchester’s new £1.7bn science and technology innovation district. The company will invest 1.5 million and employ 30 staff over the next 3 years.
• Uniquely, an Irish sales and customer services outsource solutions provider is opening offices in Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow. The company is investing £20 million and will employ 300 staff by the end of 2025.
• Walsh Mushrooms Group, one of the largest suppliers of fresh mushrooms in Ireland and the UK, is undertaking a significant 5-year investment into a new ultra-modern Mushroom growing facility close to its Evesham distribution centre. The project will introduce world-leading, cutting-edge robotic technology with the first phase commencing next month and involving an investment of £10million.
• PM Group, a project delivery specialist headquartered in Ireland, with offices in the UK would like to announce it is expanding its UK business, creating 150 jobs across the UK. The company is a world leader in project delivery in Life Sciences, Data Centres and Industrial Process. Clients include AstraZeneca, GSK, MSD and leading hyperscale data centre companies.
• W.H. Davis, part of Buckland Rail Group, have won a contract with Irish Rail to provide up to 400 freight wagons over a 10-year term, with a potential value of up to €120m/c. £100m.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 March 2025.

Joint statement between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Micheál Martin following UK-Ireland Summit.

UK-Ireland 2030 Joint Statement

1. This Joint Statement represents the starting point for a strengthened relationship between the UK and Ireland, informed by our co-guarantorship of the Good Friday Agreement, and to be taken forward through an ambitious programme of co-operation between our two countries through to 2030.
2. The time has come to commit anew to delivering on the promise of our unique partnership to the benefit of current and future generations living across these islands.
3. Our renewed programme of co-operation will be taken forward in a spirit of respect and affinity, and by a shared ambition to reach the potential of our partnership across our islands, recognising that, in a changing world beyond our shores, the benefits and significance of a stronger and more settled relationship between our two countries have never been greater.

The UK and Ireland working together at home and across the globe

1. In a challenging geo-political and international security environment, Ireland and the UK confirm our commitment to the global multilateral system and international law as the foundations on which all our international engagement and partnerships are built.
2. Building on these foundations, we will work together to strengthen international institutions for peace, promote conflict prevention, peace-building, sustainable development and climate action internationally.  Today, we have agreed in particular to collaborate on a strategic approach to the United Nations’ Peacebuilding Architecture Review and the World Bank’s Fragility, Conflict, Violence (FCV) Strategy. We also agree to collaborate on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and to pilot a joint lesson-sharing from the Northern Ireland peace process in an agreed priority country.
3. We will support this intensification of our co-operation on foreign and security policy issues through annual political consultations.
4. Continuing to ensure the safety and security of the people who live in Ireland and the United Kingdom is a priority we share.
5. National resilience remains a priority for both of us.  We will strengthen co-operation and information sharing on emergency planning to best protect our peoples across these islands.
6. We will strengthen our co-operation in the area of maritime security, with a particular focus on critical undersea infrastructure, which will require greater international co-operation, including closer co-operation between Ireland and the UK.
7. We value our good working relationship at an operational level on cyber security and will continue to co-operate to ensure that the sharing of information and best practices contribute to higher levels of cyber security across both countries. We will also work to develop approaches that benefit both countries particularly in the areas of skills development, cyber hygiene awareness and research projects.
8. Since 2015, the UK and Ireland have cooperated on defence on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding. We will pursue implementation of all aspects of that agreement, particularly in the areas of military training and education. To reflect the rebuilding and strengthening of our partnership, today we agree to review and update the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence by our next Summit in this series.
9. We will continue to develop these areas of work, including through our structured security dialogue at senior official level.
10. We will strengthen existing co-operation on criminal, civil and family law matters and exchange expertise on justice systems challenges, as well as collaborating on the rule of law and its promotion overseas. We will continue to work together to tackle threats to safety online.

Ensuring a strategic and efficient approach to our shared maritime space to mobilise investment, support a healthy marine environment and provide clean energy for our islands

1. We recognise the critical importance of the Celtic and Irish Seas and are committed to working together to harness their potential by deepening co-operation on offshore energy and interconnection, to help ensure our collective energy security as part of the green transition to net zero.
2. Our countries are uniquely linked, not least through shared energy infrastructure and the Single Electricity Market (SEM) on the island of Ireland. This means we share common long-term challenges, including the need for secure, competitive, and sustainable sources of energy.
3. We welcome recent progress on closer working between our countries in this regard, including through our two bilateral Memoranda of Understanding, and the opportunity for more formal co-operation between British and Irish system operators (EirGrid, Gas Networks Ireland, National Energy System Operator and National Gas).
4. In order to meet our ambitious decarbonisation targets, we have agreed today to work together to mobilise investment into strategic infrastructure in the Irish and Celtic Seas by establishing frameworks to guide private investment and removing barriers to trade and investment.
5. In this regard, we have agreed that our respective maritime policy, licensing and regulatory bodies will work together to establish co-operation in relation to data collection and usage, to continue to improve the management of the maritime area in the Irish and Celtic Seas through robust marine planning that includes a clear focus on our shared marine environment.
6. We have also agreed to undertake new joint initiatives on mapping the sea basin to improve interoperability and resilience in UK and Irish waters, and to deepen existing co-operation on maritime decarbonisation, including on our joint efforts to establish green maritime corridors.
7. We will also broaden our existing Energy transition MoU to include industrial decarbonisation; knowledge sharing and exchanging best practices around retrofitting of homes and Community Benefit Funds; as well as formalising a staff exchange programme between UK and Ireland energy departments and agencies.
8. Due to its geography, engineering expertise and interconnection to both Ireland and Great Britain, Northern Ireland can benefit from and be at the forefront of the clean energy transition. Co-operation between governments on infrastructure development will be key in both enabling Northern Ireland to have a renewable generation capacity of 3,550 MW by 2030 in order to deliver the target of 80% of electricity consumption from renewable sources, as well as supporting the Northern Ireland Executive’s ambition for 1GW of offshore wind from 2030 and Ireland’s ambition of at least 5GW of offshore wind by 2030, including through developing and supporting an all-island supply chain.
9. Through our continuing co-operation we can act coherently and strategically, developing and sharing research and technical innovation to address our shared challenges, which in turn will deliver significant economic and social benefits to communities across our islands.

Agile, open economies working together to attract investment, innovate from knowledge and accelerate growth

1. The UK and Ireland are particularly close economic partners with a bilateral trade relationship worth approximately 100 billion euros annually. Ireland is the UK’s 6th largest trading partner and the UK is Ireland’s second largest trading partner and we are committed to building on these ties in order to attract new investment and accelerate economic growth across our two countries.
2. Today we welcome substantial new investment announcements across a range of sectors including Digital, AI and Technology that are testimony to continued confidence in our economies and to the importance of our business and trading bilateral relationship. These commitments to invest will bring new jobs and opportunities to local communities and help drive up economic growth.
3. The UK and Ireland have a longstanding partnership in sharing knowledge and experience in progressing infrastructure projects, and we share an ambition to accelerate the delivery of sustainable and resilient infrastructure to drive economic growth, enable new forms of economic activity, accelerate the transition to Net Zero by 2050, and support the delivery of housing and high-quality public services over the next decade.  Our countries and businesses are investing heavily in achieving this ambition but also face common challenges, including in relation to capacity and productivity. We have strong existing collaborations in the transport, housing and energy sectors, and today have agreed a new Framework for Co-operation to support infrastructure delivery to deepen these partnerships and extend them to further areas of mutual interest, including digital and modern methods of construction technologies.
4. Today, we also reaffirm our support to small business in both countries and commit to working together to establish an SME Dialogue focused on sharing good practices in nurturing growth and productivity amongst SMEs to maximise commercial opportunities.
5. We will also establish an Economic Security Exchange to share good practices and experiences, and develop common understandings in key areas for the economic security and prosperity of our two nations.
6. The UK and Ireland share a close bilateral relationship in science, innovation and technology and commit to building on this through our collaboration within the current Horizon European Research and Innovation Framework Programme, including encouraging national contact points to work closely together. We agree to convene regular meetings between UKRI and Research Ireland to discuss issues of mutual interest and monitor and identify multilateral and bilateral opportunities.
7. In early 2024, we launched the research Co-Centre for Climate, Biodiversity & Water, seeking to deliver solutions to the pressing challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity decline, and water degradation; and the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, seeking to drive societal and political change in food system transformation and transition to climate neutrality by 2050. Following the launch of these Co-Centres, UKRI and Research Ireland will work together and with the Northern Ireland Executive to monitor progress and identify future opportunities to bring together researchers and innovators across the UK and Ireland.

Developing the deep ties between our people and cultures

1. We recognise the unique ability of arts, culture and sport to forge and foster ties between people across these islands.
2. We value the extraordinary influence and contribution of British and Irish cultures and heritages to the artistic and cultural wealth of the public realm and creative industries and institutions in both our countries. In recognition of this, today, we agree to establish a strategic partnership to deepen and amplify co-operation between our leading cultural institutions and to support wider public engagement with the contemporary culture and heritage of both our countries. Over the coming five years, this will comprise a range of measures to support collaborations in programming, professional exchange, research and policy, and an annual joint meeting of our leading cultural institutions each autumn.
3. We look forward to our joint hosting of the EURO2028 Men’s Football Championship and the 2030 T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup and will work to ensure that both tournaments are enjoyed across these islands. We will explore future co-hosting opportunities in the area of sports.
4. We recognise that to reach the potential of our partnership across these islands, we need to understand and respond to the aspirations and views of young people. Today, we have agreed to establish an Ireland-UK Youth Forum to bring together young people across these islands on an annual basis to discuss issues of importance to them and to make recommendations about how they can be addressed for consideration by both our governments.
5. In order to build stronger connectivity amongst our children and young people, we will also encourage greater co-operation and contact between our schools and education systems. This will include areas such as early years learning and provision, social mobility, opportunity and inclusion; special education provision; curriculum and assessment reform; teacher professional development; and integrated education.
6. We will promote greater understanding of educational opportunities for full-time students through improved knowledge, guidance and information using higher education entrance systems.
7. The uniquely rich and dynamic connections between people across these islands are supported and made possible by our long-standing Common Travel Area arrangement.  We remain firmly committed to working together to protect the integrity and security of the Common Travel Area. Recognising also the importance of the Common Travel Area in facilitating the daily lives of citizens across these islands, we will work together to minimise barriers to work or travel for those who benefit from it.
8. Underpinning our co-operation is our shared ambition of a more reconciled, peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland.  In progressing our co-operation across the board, we will ensure that our partnership includes and benefits Northern Ireland. We commit to ensure the successful delivery of the 2021-2027 PeacePlus programme and are agreed in principle to a successor programme.
9. We agree to establish a UK-Ireland 2030 Steering Group led by the UK Cabinet Office and Department of the Taoiseach in order to take forward the range of commitments we are making today. Together we will ensure this complements the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and their crucial role at the heart of our essential and unique relationship.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 March 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this afternoon.

The Prime Minister updated on his discussion with President Trump last night. It was vital that all parties worked towards a lasting and secure peace for Ukraine as soon as possible, the Prime Minister added.

Turning to President Zelenskyy’s most recent calls for further diplomatic efforts to achieve the swiftest possible end to the war, the Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy’s steadfast commitment to securing peace.

Underscoring that any peace for Ukraine needed to be lasting and secure, the Prime Minister said no one wanted peace more than Ukraine.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 3 March 2025.

Government announces major support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) following historic commitment to increase spending on defence.

• New SME spending targets for defence will boost access to UK defence investment.
• A new support hub will provide guidance to small businesses on accessing the defence supply chain, unlocking new jobs and putting more money in people’s pockets.
• Move will ensure more money is spent directly with British small businesses and boost the economy of small towns and suburbs in every region of the UK as part of the Government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy.

Thousands of small businesses in the UK will receive new government support to ensure they benefit from the historic decision to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. This investment will protect UK citizens from threats at home, but also create a secure and stable environment in which businesses can thrive, supporting the Government’s number one mission to deliver economic growth.

The government has today announced its plans to launch a new hub to provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with better access to the defence supply chain and committed to set direct SME spending targets for the Ministry of Defence by June this year. This is a chance for small, often family-owned, firms to bring their innovations, their agility and their expert workforce to the task of strengthening Britain’s defences. It will help create new jobs, boosting the economy of small towns and suburbs in the UK.

It follows the Government’s historic uplift in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, with a commitment to hit 3% in the next Parliament. This investment in defence will deliver the stability that underpins economic growth, and will unlock prosperity through new jobs, improving the lives of people in every corner of the UK.

The new hub and investment targets announced today will ensure this increased spending directly benefits SMEs as much as possible – supporting jobs, growth and innovation. This is a vote of confidence in the prospects of up to 12,000 SMEs, supporting them to raise finance and train workers with confidence. It marks further progress to deliver the government’s Plan for Change, putting more money in people’s pockets and rebuilding Britain.

The move is designed to boost the resilience of the UK’s defence industrial base and to seize the full power of rapid technological change as part of the Government’s forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

Nearly 70% of defence spending goes to businesses outside London and the South East, bolstering local economies from Scotland to the North West. However, only 4% of this spending went to SMEs in 2023-2024, which is why the Government is stepping up to provide more support to SMEs and help them get their foot in the door in the defence supply chain.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

The UK’s defence industry is a source of national pride. It supports hundreds of thousands of good jobs up and down the country and represents British manufacturing at its best.

Increasing our investment in defence is not only bolstering our national security, it is an opportunity to put more money into working people’s pockets and boost economic growth.

By helping smaller businesses to access this money, we’re making communities across the UK better off and opening up more opportunities to train for good, skilled, productive jobs.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

This Government’s historic increase in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027 will boost national security and make defence an engine for economic growth throughout the UK.

For too long small businesses felt locked out of defence, but we’ve listened and we’re acting. Today’s announcement will ensure that smaller firms benefit from increased defence spending, attracting new suppliers and fast-tracking the technologies of the future into the hands of our Armed Forces.

This a new era for defence and we will ensure it plays the fullest part in our national economic growth.

The new Hub will work with suppliers across the nations and regions of the UK to ensure that it fully meets their needs. This will strengthen defence procurement through increased choice and faster access to innovation. It will keep the UK at the forefront of defence technology, improving the capabilities available to our Armed Forces, the competitiveness of UK industry and growing potential exports benefits.

Defence is an engine for jobs and growth in every nation and region of the UK. In 2023-24, defence spending by the Government supported over 430,000 jobs across the UK, the equivalent to one in every 60. In the same year, the Ministry of Defence spent a total of £28.8 billion with UK industry, with spending in the East Midlands increasing by 30%, equivalent to £328 million, on the previous year. Northern Ireland also saw a rise of 20%, with other increases in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West, up 19% and 18% respectively. With increased support for SMEs and the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, the Government plans to increase this further.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 March 2025.

The Prime Minister met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Downing Street this morning, their third meeting since July. The meeting came ahead of the Prime Minister convening international leaders in London today to discuss how partners can work with the USA to move forward to a lasting peace for a sovereign Ukraine. They agreed on the importance of the transatlantic alliance in confronting shared challenges.

They had a warm and constructive discussion, agreeing the strength of the UK-Italy relationship is as vital now as it has ever been. They reaffirmed their support for Ukraine, agreeing that the UK and Italy will stand with them for as long as it takes.

The two leaders acknowledged positive progress made since their last meeting in joint working to tackle irregular migration. They agreed secure borders are a bedrock of a secure economy. They noted the significance of recent successful joint operations to disrupt smuggling gangs and agreed there is greater opportunity to disrupt gangs upstream at source when countries work together. They will strengthen cooperation to share intelligence and data, such as through Europol. The Prime Ministers committed to continue to work closely together in these areas.

The two Prime Ministers committed to staying in close contact to take today’s discussion forward at pace.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 March 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to President Alar Karis of Estonia, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa of Latvia and President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania this morning.

The Prime Minister reiterated that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are key partners of the UK, including through the Joint Expeditionary Force, and welcomed their leading contributions in support of Ukraine since Russia’s illegal invasion began.

The Prime Minister updated them on his discussions with the leaders of Ukraine, France and the United States in recent days – and underlined his focus on securing a lasting peace in Ukraine that ensures their future sovereignty, backed up by strong security guarantees.

They all agreed that Europe must unite and drive forward urgent action that will secure the best outcome, which will be vital for Europe’s future security.

The Prime Minister updated on his plans to convene leaders in London later today for further discussions and they agreed to stay in close contact in the coming weeks.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 March 2025.

The Prime Minister will intensify his efforts in pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine by convening international leaders at a summit in London today.

The Prime Minister has this weekend reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine and is determined to find a way forward that brings an end to Russia’s illegal war and guarantees Ukraine a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security.

The summit rounds off a week of intense diplomacy for the Prime Minister, which has seen him raise UK defence spending and travel to Washington D.C. for productive talks with President Trump in support of UK and European security. The Prime Minister spoke again with both President Trump and President Zelenskyy on Friday evening following the events of yesterday at the Presidents’ meeting in Washington D.C.

The Prime Minister will welcome Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Downing Street this morning, before being joined at the summit in central London by the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania. The Turkish Foreign Minister, NATO Secretary General and the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council will also attend.

The Prime Minister has been clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine, a determination he reiterated when he warmly welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street on Saturday evening ahead of the summit.

Discussions at the summit will focus on:

• Strengthening Ukraine’s position now – including ongoing military support and increased economic pressure on Russia.
• The need for a strong lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace in Ukraine and ensures that Ukraine is able to deter and defend against future Russian attack.
• Next steps on planning for strong security guarantees.

Following the announcement earlier this week that the UK will spend 2.5% of its GDP on defence by 2027, the Prime Minister will be clear on the need for Europe to play its part on defence and step up for the good of collective security.

The UK has already been clear it is willing to support Ukraine’s future security with troops on the ground.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Three years on from Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we are at a turning point. Today I will reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine and double down on my commitment to provide capacity, training and aid to Ukraine, putting it in the strongest possible position.

In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees, alongside continued discussions with the United States.

We have an opportunity to come together to ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine that secures their sovereignty and security.

Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security, and secure our collective future.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 March 2025.

The Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street this afternoon.

The Prime Minister reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine, adding that the UK will always stand with them, for as long as it takes.

The Prime Minister re-stated his determination to finding a path that ends Russia’s illegal war and ensures a just and lasting peace that secures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security.

The leaders looked forward to continuing these discussions at tomorrow’s leaders’ summit in London.