The UK will provide £17 million to help restore the protective shelter and ventilation at the Chernobyl power plant, which were damaged by a Russian drone attack last year. The announcement came as Prime Minister Andy Burnham sought to bolster support for Ukraine during what he described as "dark and difficult days" for the war-torn country.
The funding will support critical repairs to the plant, with concerns that corrosion could create longer-term environmental and safety risks.
Government pledges unwavering support
Chancellor John Healey said the Government's commitment to the Ukrainian people was "unshakeable", while Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain will "stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and will do so until they prevail".
The announcement followed a meeting between Mr Burnham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street on Wednesday, October 15, during which the Prime Minister told the Ukrainian leader the UK was "behind you and that will not change".
Zelensky's London visit
Mr Zelensky received an unprecedented honour guard made up of troops from the Irish Guards on his arrival at No 10. The meeting came during a period of strained relations between Ukraine and the US after Donald Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel last week, as high fuel prices in America threatened to overshadow November's mid-term elections.
The UK responded to news of the deal by pledging to "maintain pressure on Russia". In recent days, the US president has also suggested Ukraine needs a new leader and claimed Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal more than the government in Kyiv.
Starlink concerns and military support
Mr Zelensky has also said use of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications system was "blocked" and that as a result "people will die", admitting that he felt betrayed by Mr Trump. "It's a pity that we are losing, we are losing a strong partner," he told Piers Morgan Uncensored. Starlink is used by Ukraine to defend against aerial attacks and for long-range drones targeting Russian sites.
Speaking in the Commons ahead of his meeting with Mr Zelensky, the Prime Minister said he would seek to restore Donald Trump's support for Ukraine. During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Burnham said he was being "careful" in his language after Mr Trump's diesel deal with Russia, as he said he was "laying the ground" for a reconciliation. He added: "I will listen to President Zelensky carefully, but he won't be going away from Britain today empty-handed."
During his meeting with Mr Zelensky, he confirmed that the UK would accelerate the supply of crucial air defence missiles to Ukraine amid "heavy bombardment" from Russia. The accelerated support will see faster deliveries of British lightweight multi-role missiles to Ukraine, which have proved effective against Russian jet-powered drones.
Russia continues to pound Ukraine's power grid, as well as oil and gas facilities, after Mr Trump claimed that the two countries had agreed to an "energy ceasefire".
Announcing new funding for repairs at Chernobyl, Mr Healey said: "As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Putin continues, our commitment to the Ukrainian people is unshakeable. We are curtailing the war chest funding Putin so desperately wants and backing the reconstruction of Ukraine that has suffered at the hands of his barbaric attacks."
Mr Miliband said: "Our message to Putin is clear – we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and will do so until they prevail. Working with our allies, we are strengthening Ukraine's security, raising the cost of Russia's aggression and working towards a just and lasting peace."
