The Prime Minister said the “unbreakable bond” with Ukraine will continue under his government
Andy Burnham has vowed to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Ukraine as he welcomes President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the UK on Monday.
The Ukrainian leader will be the Prime Minister’s first international visitor since taking office last week.
Mr Burnham will offer the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine, both through the war and beyond.
The leaders are expected to meet at a naval base before hearing first-hand from Ukrainian and British personnel how the training which Ukraine’s armed forces are receiving in the UK is making a real difference on the front line.
The visit comes as the UK announce the sharing of intellectual property with Ukraine for a new British capability dubbed Stone Cloak. The electronic jammers are the size of a tablet computer and hinder Russian air defence systems from tracking and targeting the drones they’re fitted to.
It follows Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday morning, with falling debris causing fires in at least three districts. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Mr Burnham said: “Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not backdown until we achieve long lasting and just peace for Ukraine.
“Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries.”
Following the roll out in Ukraine, it is expected Stone Cloak will be built into the next generation of UK deep-strike capabilities, boosting national security and providing vital enhancements to UK capability.
By sharing the intellectual property, Ukraine can now mass produce Stone Cloak themselves, strengthening front line defences and European defence.
Thousands of these electronic jammers have already been gifted to Ukraine by the Ministry of Defence, helping its armed forces maintain drone operations and knocking Russia a step back in their illegal invasion on Ukraine.
During the visit, Mr Burnham and President Zelenskyy will meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have been in the UK for the past three weeks to take part in Exercise Sea Breeze, a maritime security and counter-mine exercise to prepare for future missions in the Black Sea.
The exercise builds on the full spectrum of support the UK provides Ukraine, including £3 billion a year to Ukraine.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UK’s total support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion, including £16 billion in military assistance and £5.6 billion in non-military support.
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