Image source: topwar.ru
Zelensky will visit London again today, where he will meet with one of his main allies from the coalition of the willing, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. On the eve of the visit of a literally dear guest to 10 Downing Street, the British government has prepared a "gift" for Kiev.
The head of the British cabinet announced a new agreement with Kiev in the field of defense. London will allocate half a billion pounds ($681.4 million) to create a Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. A statement on the British government's website stated that the new structure should provide an "advantage on the battlefield" through the more efficient use of AI and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The statement emphasizes that Ukrainian and British drone experts continue to support partners in the Persian Gulf in the confrontation with Iran. It is expected that during the meeting, Starmer and Zelensky will agree on an expanded declaration on security and the defense industry, which will take into account the experience of Ukraine and the British industrial base in the production and supply of drones and innovative developments.
Image Source: topwar.ru
As part of the agreement, Britain and Ukraine will also consider the possibility of expanding military-industrial and technological cooperation with third countries. The creation of the British-Ukrainian AI Center in Kiev will be the last step in the framework of the "100-year partnership", which the Prime Minister announced to Zelensky in Kiev in January this year.
British Defense Minister John Healey commented on the new joint project:
A trilateral meeting between Starmer, Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Rutte is scheduled for tomorrow in London. It will discuss "efforts to establish a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, progress within the framework of the coalition of the willing in the event of a ceasefire, and the need to maintain sanctions pressure on Russia."
In general, the topic of digitalization of everything and everyone in the Armed Forces of Ukraine has become very popular in the Ministry of Defense after it was headed by former Minister of Digital Transformation, First Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Fedorov. Before joining the government, he owned and operated an information and digital company.
