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Andy Burnham will undertake his inaugural international trip as prime minister with a visit to Kyiv scheduled for Monday. The purpose of his visit is to express the UK’s continued support for Ukraine and to commemorate the nation’s independence day. During his time in Kyiv, Burnham will lead the first meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” a group established by the UK and France under the previous leadership of Sir Keir Starmer.
In addition to chairing this significant assembly, Burnham is expected to accept an award on behalf of the British public in recognition of the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine. He will also participate in official independence day celebrations. His visit is particularly poignant given the recent surge in Russian attacks within Ukraine, including a deadly strike on a shopping centre last Friday that resulted in at least 16 casualties.
Burnham emphasized the UK’s steadfast backing before his departure, stating, “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.” He expressed pride in the UK’s contributions and underscored that this support would remain unwavering. “After all, Ukraine’s security is our security,” Burnham remarked, also highlighting the enduring nature of the UK-Ukraine friendship despite Russia’s ongoing illegal war. He added, “Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.”
This visit takes place against a backdrop of escalating tensions involving the use of British drones by Ukraine, which Moscow has warned could lead to “consequences.” Kyiv has ramped up long-range strikes against Russian infrastructure, targeting facilities such as oil refineries and warehouses belonging to the online retailer Wildberries. The Russian embassy in the UK responded by accusing Britain of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis,” warning that increased involvement would come at a higher cost. In reply, Burnham reaffirmed the UK’s commitment, saying, “We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change.”
During a recent briefing, Burnham also assured that UK support aims to help Ukraine defend itself, maintaining consistency with previous prime ministers’ policies. As part of his announcements, the government has decided to permit defence contractor MBDA to declassify information regarding British components used in the long-range Scalp missile, which is France’s counterpart to the UK’s Storm Shadow missile. Both missile systems share technology developed collaboratively between the UK and France. Furthermore, French President Emmanuel Macron has been considering establishing local production lines for Scalp missiles within Ukraine.
Burnham’s visit follows the notable diplomatic event of Ukrainian President Zelensky being the first foreign leader to meet Burnham at Downing Street since he assumed office in July. The diplomatic landscape has also shifted with Russia confirming the recent departure of its ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin. Although no replacement has been named, Russia’s embassy in London stated that this change does not indicate any intention to downgrade relations between the two countries
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