Kielstarmer will try to strengthen UK defence ties with New Zealand when he hosts the country’s prime minister on Tuesday.
When he meets Christopher Luxon, the priority discusses an extension of the training programme for the Ukrainian military, run by both countries, and agrees to a new £30 million weapons contract.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday before London, a gathering of British, French, German, Ukrainians and US officials. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also be present.
French officials said five countries held a “great” consultation day in Paris last week, urging attendees to pressure Moscow to end the fight, along with Ukrainian President Voldymie Zelensky.
The UK and France are supported by a “coalition of will,” and have already proposed to provide Ukraine with a “secure” in the event of a ceasefire, but the US has so far thwarted its support.
After last Thursday’s meeting, Zelenskyy expressed his dissatisfaction that the US envoy “has taken on the Russian strategy.”
Luxun and Priorities will visit the military base on Wednesday to see British and New Zealand personnel train Ukrainian troops as part of the UK interoperability group.
More than 54,000 Ukrainians have already been trained, and Luxon will confirm on Tuesday that New Zealand will expand its support for the programme through the end of the year.
In the show of further support for Ukraine, the priority will announce a deal worth £30 million in drones produced by Syos Aerospace, a New Zealand company with a Hampshire factory.
Drones have become increasingly important during the course of the war in Ukraine, and now account for more battlefield casualties than artillery.
The pair also directed the Minister of Defense to begin work on a new defence partnership between the UK and New Zealand, replacing the one signed in 2015.
The UK and New Zealand have long-standing defensive links. Both countries belong to the Five Eyes Intelligence-Sharing Network, and the New Zealand Navy is offering frigate Hmnzs Te Kaha for the British carrier strike group scheduled to depart from Portsmouth for the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.
The priorities were, “From the beaches of Gallipoli to the important tasks we have done together at Operations Interflex, support for Ukraine, the UK and New Zealand has been on shoulder for generations in pursuit of peace and stability.
“As the world becomes an increasingly dangerous place, we are proud of how much we are going together to support our national and economic security. We continue our work to block the increasingly aggressive Russia, in order to strengthen our defense spending, deploy our navy in the Indo-Pacific, and put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.”
