Prime Minister Andy Burnham will travel to Kyiv on Monday for his first foreign visit in the role, where he will reaffirm the UK’s support for Ukraine and join events marking the country’s 35th anniversary of independence.
The Burnham Kyiv visit will include his first meeting as prime minister of the “coalition of the willing”, an alliance established by the UK and France under his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. Burnham is also expected to accept an award on behalf of the British people recognising the UK’s support for Ukraine.
Burnham Kyiv visit follows escalation in Russian strikes
The visit comes after a series of escalating Russian strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks. At least 16 people were killed in a strike on a shopping centre on Friday, according to the supplied material.
Before travelling, Burnham said Ukrainians should have no doubt that Britain stood with them on the anniversary of their independence. He said he was proud of the UK’s contribution and wanted the Ukrainian people to hear directly from him that British support would not waver.
“Ukraine’s security is our security,” Burnham said, adding that the countries’ friendship would outlast Russia’s “illegal war”. He also said Russia should understand that the UK would continue supporting Ukraine until there was a “just and lasting peace”.
The prime minister’s position comes after a warning from Moscow over Ukraine’s use of British drones in an increase in attacks on Russian infrastructure. Kyiv has intensified long-range strikes on Moscow and other Russian regions, including attacks on oil refineries and warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer.
The Russian embassy in the UK accused Britain of deliberately escalating the conflict and warned that the deeper its involvement became, the higher the price it would pay. Burnham responded that the UK was “not fair-weather friends” and would remain with Ukraine in its hour of need.
Asked about the threat, he said Britain was providing support so Ukraine could defend itself. He added that this had been the UK’s position throughout the conflict under previous prime ministers and remained its policy under his government.
UK components for Scalp missiles
During the Burnham Kyiv visit, the government is also expected to announce that defence company MBDA will be allowed to declassify information about UK components used in the long-range Scalp missile.
Scalp is the French equivalent of the UK’s Storm Shadow. The two missiles use shared British and French technology, while French President Emmanuel Macron is considering the creation of local assembly lines for Scalp missiles in Ukraine.
The planned trip follows an early diplomatic meeting between Burnham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky was the first foreign leader welcomed to Downing Street after Burnham became prime minister in July.
It also takes place as Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, has left his post in London. The Kremlin has not yet nominated a replacement. However, Russia’s embassy in the UK said the departure did not indicate an intention to downgrade diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Burnham Kyiv visit is intended to underline the government’s continued backing for Ukraine while the conflict remains active and diplomatic tensions between London and Moscow continue.
Source: BBC News
