Sir Keir Starmer will visit Poland on Friday, when he will hold talks on a new security pact to protect the UK’s national security.
The new treaty, which the prime minister will discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is designed to protect Europe from Russian aggression, tackle people-smuggling gangs, and combat misinformation and cyber threats.
His visit comes following a surprise trip to Kyiv on Thursday, where the prime minister reiterated his support for Ukraine and suggested that British troops could be deployed to the country as part of peacekeeping efforts.
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In an exclusive interview with Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, Sir Keir said the UK would play its “full part” in any peace negotiations – including by deploying British troops for peacekeeping – though added that he did not want “to get ahead of ourselves”.
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Ahead of the visit to Warsaw, Sir Keir said: “The UK and Poland are longstanding allies, and our cooperation stretches back for generations.
“With ever-increasing threats to Europe’s security, now is the time to take our partnership to the next level, so we can ensure we’re tackling the big issues that rebound on the British people at home – from Putin’s aggression to the vile people smuggling gangs trading in human misery.
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“It is only through closer collaboration with our most important partners such as Poland that we’ll protect the UK’s national security – the key foundation on which I’ll deliver my plan for change.”
During his visit, Sir Keir will meet Polish businesses, including the firm InPost which has announced it will invest a further £600m into the UK in the next five years to grow its operations.
It is thought that the overall £1bn investment by the firm, which operates parcel lockers, could support up to 12,000 new jobs.
