Opposition to NATO in Paris, October 2022 - Photo: Tehran Times

On Thursday, January 16, the Prime Minister Kier Starmer travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine and signed with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "landmark 100 Year Partnership to deepen security ties and strengthen partnership for future generations." [1] Given the crisis in the proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, and the imminent inauguration of US President Trump and its unpredictable consequences in Ukraine, one wonders if self-mockery was the aim in signing this "100 Year Partnership", or whether Kier Starmer is simply in denial of the trends in history, and that Zelenskyy is a pawn in the US/NATO proxy war. Certainly the British working class and people condemn this British warmongering "partnership" agreement and its "strategic dialogue" with Ukraine, an agreement which is in the service of Britain's imperialist ambitions, its monopolies and war industries.

According to reports, in his first trip to Ukraine since becoming prime minister in July last year, "Starmer was keen to underline Britain's support for the nation just days before Donald Trump returns to power in the United States." [2] Starmer's trip to Ukraine came two days after German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius also travelled to the country, with European leaders "weighing what security guarantees they can provide as part of any peace agreement that may be pushed by Trump". According to these reports both Britain and the EU are concerned that Trump's return to the White House will end in a "bid to end Moscow's war could force Ukraine to cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future". This statement reveals that the British and European leaders are not seeking a permanent peace but are being forced to make concessions for the "foreseeable future" on their global ambitions to continue to embed themselves in their proxy state of Ukraine, and use it to weaken Russia in Eastern Europe and Asia.

The press release says that the Treaty will "bolster military collaboration on maritime security" through a new "framework to strengthen Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Azov Sea security" as well as "bring together experts to advance scientific and technology partnerships", significantly mentioning "agri-tech, space and drones". The government will "build on the £12.8 billion package of support the UK has given Ukraine, including £7.8bn of military assistance", a commitment "for £3bn in military aid a year until as long as it takes". The statement concludes that the UK and Ukraine "will use an annual high-level Strategic Dialogue to ensure progress on the partnership for decades to come."

Whilst gone is the rhetoric of the UK governments that they will support Ukraine "until victory" against Russia if a peace deal comes about, Starmer is hoping that Britain can still use Ukraine as a proxy for its interference and warmongering against Russia in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Azov Sea and in Ukraine itself. This they are trying to do should the Anglo-US and NATO alliance be forced to agree a peace deal in Ukraine with Russia which the people and majority of countries in the world are demanding.

In particular, the British warmongers are frustrated and want to continue to lay the foundations to continue the war. Significantly, the agreement mentions the Azov Sea which is a Russian internal sea. This was one of Britain's provocations against Russia that led to the war with Ukraine in 2022. In 2021 Britain signed an agreement with Ukraine in Odessa on its warship HMS Defender to "assist in building naval bases around the Azov Sea and the Black Sea regions" with Babcock International, a British Marine, Nuclear, Land and Aviation arms manufacturer "as the prime industrial partner" as well as also sending warships to Ukraine [3]. This latest agreement deliberately continues that British provocation before any peace agreement is agreed between Russia and Ukraine.

Map Aljazeera

The text of the agreement also reveals that the "strategic dialogue" of the British ruling elite is to continue to disrupt and interfere in any de-escalation and peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Reports also speculate that France and Britain are also considering another provocation of sending troops as "peacekeepers" to Ukraine. However, what is certain is that the One Hundred Year Partnership agreement [4] states that Britain intends to "build a partnership in maritime security. We will focus on speedy restoration of Ukraine's control over all temporarily occupied territories and strengthen its potential as a powerful maritime and riverine state through implementation of the Maritime Security Strategy of Ukraine." It goes on; "we will work together to ensure NATO learns the lessons from Ukraine's experience in the Black Sea to inform its development of future maritime capabilities. We will promote the development of naval bases on the territory of Ukraine." It also states that "the Participants will explore options for deploying and maintaining defence infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, logistics depots, reserve military equipment storage facilities and war reserve stockpiles."

In other words Britain and the EU "old powers" of Europe are trying to continue their desperate attempts to stop the collapse of their ambitions in Ukraine against Russia, together with their failing attempts to continue their influence and interference and support for wars in Africa, Asia and their support for Israel's genocide against the Palestinians in the Middle East. The agreement and the "strategic dialogue" reveal it has no intention of resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and bringing about peace and an end the huge loss of life in the war.

The peoples will not accept that that conflict, in which Britain is playing such a nefarious role, must continue against Russia "to the last Ukrainian", as is said. The anti-war movement in Britain is facing the crucial task of opposing the schemes of the British government and continuing to expose and oppose the destructive military alliances such as the Anglo/US-led NATO which continue to promote and provoke and escalate and build infrastructure for these wars all over the world in the name of a "defensive alliance". At the same time, the anti-war movement is a force in its own right, and the working class and people must empower themselves to bring about an anti-war government in Britain, casting aside the old structures which perpetuate their disempowerment. This is an urgent aim for all the movements of the people.

Notes
1. Government Press Release: UK and Ukraine sign landmark 100 Year Partnership to deepen security ties and strengthen partnership for future generations, January 16 2025
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-ukraine-sign-landmark-100-year-partnership-to-deepen-security-ties-and-strengthen-partnership-for-future-generations
2. UK's Starmer vows to put Ukraine in 'strongest position' against Russia
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uks-starmer-vows-to-put-ukraine-in-strongest-position-against-russia/ar-AA1xiGGy?ocid=BingNewsSerp
3. NATO Operation Sea Breeze 21 in the Black Sea: US, Britain, NATO - Get Out of the Black Sea! Workers' Weekly July 17 2021
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-21/ww21-21/ww21-21-05.htm
4. One Hundred Year Partnership agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ukraine
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/one-hundred-year-partnership-agreement-between-the-united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and-northern-ireland-and-ukraine

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