UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will travel to Kyiv on Monday for his first foreign visit since taking office. The visit will take place on the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union.
Burnham is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and chair the first meeting of the “coalition of the willing” formed by France and the UK. The British prime minister is also expected to accept, on behalf of the UK, an award recognizing the British public’s support for Ukraine.
“The UK stands behind you”
In remarks ahead of his visit to Kyiv, Burnham said the people of Ukraine should have no doubt that the UK would stand with them today and for as long as necessary.
Sending a message to Russia, Burnham said the UK’s resolve should not be questioned. He said they would not retreat until a just and lasting peace was secured.
Production step for Storm Shadow components
The British government is expected to allow defense company MBDA to declassify information about the British components used in the Storm Shadow long-range missile. The move is expected to enable Ukraine to continue efforts to produce the missile’s French equivalent, the SCALP-EG, domestically.
With a range of approximately 241 kilometers, Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG missiles have been used against occupied Ukrainian territories and heavily fortified targets in Russia.
Rising tensions between Moscow and London
Burnham’s visit comes as Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine and tensions between Moscow and London have risen. Russia warned that the use of British-made drones in Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory would have consequences.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the UK of pursuing a path of conflict. It was also announced that Russia’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, had left his post after seven years.
A NATO official said Russia had intensified destabilizing activities against allies through cyberattacks, assassination attempts and sabotage. The official said NATO was strengthening its resilience and deterrence tools against hybrid actions and would continue preparing the alliance for threats.
