UK Prime Minister Visits Armenia After Over 35 Years, Focusing on Middle East and Ukraine
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Armenia, the first such visit by a sitting British Prime Minister in over 35 years, to attend the European Political Community summit. Discussions will focus on the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, with the UK intending to join a £78 billion loan program for Ukraine.
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- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 08:46
- 🔍 Collected: May 4, 2026 at 09:01 (15 min after Published)
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chen Yun-yu, London, May 3rd exclusive report) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Armenia to attend the European Political Community summit scheduled for May 4th. The situations in Ukraine and the Middle East will be the main topics of his discussions with European leaders.
This marks the first visit by a sitting British Prime Minister to Armenia since Margaret Thatcher in 1990.
The European Political Community (EPC), initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is a European regional dialogue platform outside the framework of the European Union (EU). It aims to bring together leaders from both EU and non-EU countries for high-level talks, with a high degree of flexibility in agenda and topic setting, which helps to respond flexibly to current challenges.
EPC summits are generally held twice a year, hosted alternately by EU and non-EU member states. This summit is being held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and will move to Ireland in the second half of this year. The UK hosted the 4th EPC summit in July 2024.
The UK Prime Minister's Office announced today that during the summit, Keir Starmer will declare the UK's intention to join a loan program for Ukraine totaling approximately £78 billion (NT$3.35 trillion) to help Ukraine quickly acquire necessary military equipment.
The Prime Minister's Office stated that the UK's participation in this loan program will not only help strengthen Ukraine's defense but also provide opportunities for British military industries and other sectors to secure contracts, while solidifying the increasingly close security and defense cooperation between the UK and the EU.
Starmer arrived in Yerevan today and held bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a day before the EPC summit.
The Prime Minister's Office further announced that after the EPC Yerevan summit concludes, the UK government plans to announce a new wave of sanctions against Russia later this week to further target Russia's military-industrial supply chain.
Additionally, the UK and the EU are expected to hold a summit this summer, focusing on economic and security and defense issues.
Besides Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East is another key focus for Starmer.
The Prime Minister's Office stated that Starmer will consult with European leaders on how to promote long-term security in the Strait of Hormuz and ensure regional stability and de-escalation.
In both Ukraine and the Middle East, the UK and France are jointly leading informal multinational security alliances to deploy military resources to Ukraine and the Strait of Hormuz, once a ceasefire is in place and a certain degree of stability is achieved, to help ensure regional security. Related discussions have gradually entered the detailed military planning phase. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150504
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(Central News Agency reporter Chen Yun-yu, London, May 3rd exclusive report) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Armenia to attend the European Political Community summit scheduled for May 4th. The situations in Ukraine and the Middle East will be the main topics of his discussions with European leaders.
This marks the first visit by a sitting British Prime Minister to Armenia since Margaret Thatcher in 1990.
The European Political Community (EPC), initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is a European regional dialogue platform outside the framework of the European Union (EU). It aims to bring together leaders from both EU and non-EU countries for high-level talks, with a high degree of flexibility in agenda and topic setting, which helps to respond flexibly to current challenges.
EPC summits are generally held twice a year, hosted alternately by EU and non-EU member states. This summit is being held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and will move to Ireland in the second half of this year. The UK hosted the 4th EPC summit in July 2024.
The UK Prime Minister's Office announced today that during the summit, Keir Starmer will declare the UK's intention to join a loan program for Ukraine totaling approximately £78 billion (NT$3.35 trillion) to help Ukraine quickly acquire necessary military equipment.
The Prime Minister's Office stated that the UK's participation in this loan program will not only help strengthen Ukraine's defense but also provide opportunities for British military industries and other sectors to secure contracts, while solidifying the increasingly close security and defense cooperation between the UK and the EU.
Starmer arrived in Yerevan today and held bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a day before the EPC summit.
The Prime Minister's Office further announced that after the EPC Yerevan summit concludes, the UK government plans to announce a new wave of sanctions against Russia later this week to further target Russia's military-industrial supply chain.
Additionally, the UK and the EU are expected to hold a summit this summer, focusing on economic and security and defense issues.
Besides Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East is another key focus for Starmer.
The Prime Minister's Office stated that Starmer will consult with European leaders on how to promote long-term security in the Strait of Hormuz and ensure regional stability and de-escalation.
In both Ukraine and the Middle East, the UK and France are jointly leading informal multinational security alliances to deploy military resources to Ukraine and the Strait of Hormuz, once a ceasefire is in place and a certain degree of stability is achieved, to help ensure regional security. Related discussions have gradually entered the detailed military planning phase. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150504
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.