In Ukraine, Friday January 12, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not come empty-handed. During his visit to Kyiv, the tenant of 10 Downing Street announced that the United Kingdom would provide aid to Ukraine of almost 3 billion euros over the next two years. Above all military assistance, Rishi Sunak specified, but which is also accompanied by a security cooperation agreement of a completely new type.
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With our correspondent in kyiv, Stéphane Siohan
It is not yet the Crimean War, 19th century style, with the United Kingdom confronting the Russian Empire, but the signing on Friday in Kiev of a bilateral security cooperation agreement between London and kyiv represents “ a historic event, without exaggeration », in the words of Ihor Jovka, a close advisor to Volodymyr Zelensky.
“ This means first more security, anti-tank weapons, missiles, hundreds of thousands of new artillery shells and the training of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers “, declared Rishi Sunak, who received a standing ovation in the Ukrainian Parliament, after displaying the Union Jack flag, signed by all the members of his cabinet.
This is the first time that a country has signed such a reciprocal security agreement with Ukraine: the text guarantees that in the event of external aggression, or a worsening of the current situation, Great Britain undertakes to coordinate an emergency response within 24 hours. A response which will, if necessary, involve immediate and automatic delivery of military equipment, both on land, at sea and in the air, without prior request.
It did not take much for Dmitri Medvedev, the vice-president of the Russian Security Council, to declare that any deployment of British troops in Ukraine would be considered a declaration of war between London and Moscow.