Andy Burnham will today visit Kyiv where he will restate the UK's steadfast support for Ukraine on his first foreign trip as Prime Minister. On Ukrainian Independence Day, the PM will tell the Ukrainian people “the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes” and that Russia's threats only strengthen the UK's resolve.
PM's message to Ukraine and Russia
He will warn Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin that our nation “will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace”. While in Kyiv, the Prime Minister will take part in Independence Day events and co-chair his first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing to discuss how the UK can continue to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s illegal invasion.
Mr Burnham is planning to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine, just weeks after welcoming the wartime hero to the UK as his first international guest as PM. Mr Burnham, who became PM last month, is expected to be presented with an award on behalf of the British people, in recognition of the UK's support.
PM's statement on UK support
The PM last night 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."
He continued: "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."
Defence cooperation and missile assembly
Mr Burnham is set to announce the Government has agreed that defence firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the long-range Scalp missile, Scalp - the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow. Both missiles use shared French and British technology. Ukraine and France are looking to set up local assembly lines for Scalp missiles in Ukraine.
The move follows the UK being the first to gift long-range strike weapons for defensive purposes to Ukraine in 2023 and will allow the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile. It also complements the major UK effort to rapidly develop low-cost advanced long-range strike weapons for Ukraine through Project Brakestop.
UK support and Russian threats
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the UK has committed a range of military, economic, and diplomatic support, underpinned by the UK and Ukraine’s 100 Year Partnership. This includes £16billion in military assistance and £5.6bn in non-military support.
Moscow recently threatened “consequences” over the reported use of British drones by Ukraine in its recent ramping up of deep strikes into Russia’s mainland. Last week, Russia accused the UK of deliberately escalating the conflict in relation to the UK-made drones and said the deeper the country’s involvement became, “the higher the price it will pay”.
Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, has left his post in London in recent weeks. The Kremlin has not yet put forward a replacement candidate and in the meantime, the charge d’affaires has taken the lead, an embassy spokesman told The Times, raising questions about whether Russia is seeking to downgrade its diplomatic relations with the UK.
Keir Starmer earlier this year spearheaded plans with France to set up a "coalition of the willing" to defend Ukraine and to guarantee peace, backed with British "boots on the ground and planes in the air". Last month, Mr Starmer was awarded the Ukrainian 'Order of Freedom', which is the highest award for a foreign person in Ukraine, when he visited the country for his final visit as Prime Minister.
