Andy Burnham Visits Kyiv For His First Overseas Trip As PM

Andy Burnham will travel to Kyiv today on his first international trip as prime minister to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day.

The prime minister is set to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and chair his first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, the international group set up by Keir Starmer to support Kyiv amid Moscow’s invasion.

He and other international leaders will demonstrate their ongoing alliance with the beleaguered country as it celebrates 35 years since it declared independence from the former USSR in 1991.

Burnham already welcomed Zelenskyy to the UK as his first international guest last month, shortly after he got the keys to No.10.

He is keen to demonstrate that Britain will continue to support Ukraine even though Burnham is the UK’s fifth prime minister since Russia’s illegal invasion began in February 2022.

Burnham will tell Ukrainians that the UK is “four-square” behind its independence as Vladimir Putin’s brutal land grab rumbles on.

In words released ahead of his visit, the prime minister said: “On Ukraine’s 35th anniversary of independence, the Ukrainian people should be in no doubt: the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes.

“I am proud of the contribution our country has made to Ukraine and I want the Ukrainian people to hear it directly from me that our support will not waver. After all, Ukraine’s security is our security.

“The friendship between our two countries will long outlast Russia’s illegal war. In both the fight and in the rebuilding to come, we will stand with Ukraine and deliver opportunities for people across both our countries.

“Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.”

He will also announce the government has agreed the defence firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the long-range missiles SCALP – the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow.

Both missiles use shared French and British technology.

The UK will also allow the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile.

Britain was the first to offer long-range strike weapons for defensive purposes to Ukraine back in 2023.

Relations between London and Moscow appear to have broken down after it was confirmed Ukraine used long-range British drones to hit targets deep within Russia last week.

The Russian embassy in London and Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov threatened “consequences” for Britain as a result.

Burnham rebuffed the warnings last week, saying: “We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change.”

He added that the UK was “providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself and that’s been the British position all the way through this conflict, by previous prime ministers – it remains the case with me”.

The Kremlin has also not replaced its ambassador Andrei Kelin, who left his post in Britain in July, suggesting relations are in decline.

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