British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said before the G7 summit session on Tuesday that the United Kingdom will supply Ukraine with enriched uranium for use in nuclear power plants and will impose new sanctions on Russia.In an official government statement on Monday, Starmer’s office said the UK was stepping up its support for Ukraine amid ongoing Russian military actions.Starmer condemned Russia’s “barbaric strikes” on Ukraine, and said the UK was “stepping up its efforts” by “stifling the revenues that fuel Putin’s war and power Ukraine through the coming winters.”The agreement includes a major energy deal to supply Ukraine with energy over the next two years through the supply of UK nuclear fuel, the Prime Minister’s Office said, adding that this would also support hundreds of British jobs in northwest England.
The statement said that the action against the Russian “shadow fleet” forms part of broader pressure measures, referring to a military operation to intercept the “Smirtos” ship in the early hours of Sunday.Starmer was quoted as saying: “We will stand by Ukraine as long as it takes, and this announcement reinforces that. Putin should roll back his tanks, end his barbaric strikes, and return to the negotiating table.”Under the agreement, the UK will help operate nuclear power stations in Ukraine over the next two years with £210 million of UK export finance support, enabling UK-based Urenco to supply enriched uranium to Ukrainian state nuclear energy company Energoatom.
The deal was finalized between Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their meeting in Downing Street last week.This agreement is considered fundamental to Ukraine’s energy security, as Energoatom represents more than 50 percent of the country’s electricity supply.The package also supports the UK industry, where more than a third of uranium supplies are expected to come from Urenco’s processing plant in northwest England. The company employs more than 650 people in the UK, while its Chester facility supports more than 4,500 jobs across the wider supply chain.