UK Chancellor Reeves visits Kyiv – photos

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Saturday 27 June as part of the UK's newly announced support package for Ukraine.

Source: UK government press office, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Reeves visited Kyiv on Saturday 27 June, but the trip was not made public until after it had concluded.

According to the UK government, the visit was intended as a signal to "demonstrate UK's unwavering support" for Ukraine. It follows the announcement in Gdańsk of a £290 million (approx. US$382.8 million) support package aimed at strengthening Ukraine's resilience and energy security, in addition to a further US$1 billion in UK financial assistance to help maintain essential public services. The UK's total non-military support for Ukraine in the 2026–27 financial year now amounts to £1.5 billion (approx. US$1.9 billion).

"Rachel Reeves has pledged the UK will go further and faster to support Ukraine's recovery as she visited Kyiv," the press office said.

The UK government said the visit built on discussions held with counterparts during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk. Reeves held talks with several Ukrainian officials, including Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko.

During the visit, she also met Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and representatives of Ukrainian and British defence companies, where she was shown cutting-edge military technology, including projects being developed through bilateral cooperation.

"Ukraine's security is Europe's security and we will continue to support the people of Ukraine," Reeves said.

Reeves paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian defenders at the Wall of Remembrance outside St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. She was also shown the damage caused by a Shahed drone strike on the Dormition Cathedral, as well as panoramic views of Kyiv from the hills near the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II.

Reeves also visited a rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities that receives UK funding.

Photographs released from the visit also showed Reeves stopping to play a game of chess with local residents while walking through Shevchenko Park.

Background:

• Reeves serves in the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has announced his intention to step down. The formal contest to elect a new leader of the Labour Party is due to begin in July, with former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham widely seen as the frontrunner to become the next prime minister.
• The UK government has stressed that British support for Ukraine will continue under the next administration.
• Opinion polls in the UK indicate that Burnham is viewed more favourably as a potential prime minister than the leaders of any of the other major political parties.

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