On Ukraine’s Independence Day, outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday as the Ukraine war completes six months into the war.
Earlier, while announcing the visit on Twitter, 10 Downing Street shared an image of Johnson speaking to Zelensky outside the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv. “What happens in Ukraine matters to us all. That is why I am in Kyiv today. That is why the UK will continue to stand with our Ukrainian friends. I believe Ukraine can and will win this war,” Johnson wrote in a tweet. Johnson has been one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine as the country continues to resist Russia’s invasion.
On Wednesday, Zelensky presented Johnson with a parting gift, awarding him the Order of Freedom for “the work that Boris has been doing for our country and all of Europe.” The UK has poured more than euros 2.3 billion (USD 2.71 billion) into military and financial aid to Ukraine since the invasion began, according to a statement from Downing Street, reported CNN.
The UK government Wednesday also announced that it will provide Ukraine with mine-hunting vehicles, drones and loitering munitions worth euros 54 million (USD 63.5 million).
The UK and Ukraine have announced their intention to pursue a new digital trade agreement to help Ukraine rebuild its economy and protect livelihoods following Russia’s invasion.
International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan met with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko and Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov virtually and Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko in person in London on Tuesday to reiterate the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine and begin talks.
The digital trade agreement will aim to support Ukrainian businesses by cutting red tape and helping them to trade with the UK more efficiently through technology such as electronic transactions, e-signatures, and e-contracts.
It will also make it easier for UK companies to work with Ukrainian businesses and support with their economic recovery. Total trade between the UK and Ukraine was worth euros 1.9 billion in 2021 and UK exports of digitally delivered services accounted for 73 pc of all UK services exports to Ukraine in 2020.
The Ukrainian government has identified supporting the digital economy as one of its areas of focus for the recovery and reconstruction of the country. The UK, as a global leader in digital trade, is well placed to help with that.
It follows the UK’s removal of all tariffs under the existing UK-Ukraine free trade agreement in May, supporting Ukrainian businesses and producers to export goods and rebuild their economy. A new digital trade agreement would further strengthen our trading relationship, providing additional and much-needed economic support for businesses in Ukraine.
In July the Trade Secretary also launched a new UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce, which is building partnerships between UK and Ukrainian businesses to help repair damaged and destroyed infrastructure including bridges and homes in and around Kyiv.
The UK has also introduced one of the largest and most severe packages of economic sanctions against Russia. Measures cover over euros 18 billion worth of products that were traded with Russia in 2021, as well as over 1,000 individuals and over 100 entities in key sectors such as defence. (ANI)
