Full story
Burnham heads to Kyiv
Andy Burnham will mark his first foreign trip as prime minister by visiting Kyiv on Monday to reaffirm UK support for Ukraine on its 35th Independence Day.
“including one on a shopping centre on Friday that killed at least 16 people”
Burnham is set to chair his first meeting of the “coalition of the willing” and also meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during the visit.
In a statement ahead of the trip, Burnham 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,” and he added that “Ukraine’s security is our security.”
The BBC also links the timing of the visit to escalating Russian strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks, including one on a shopping centre on Friday that killed at least 16 people.
The Independent frames the trip as part of Britain’s continued backing, saying Burnham will arrive in Kyiv on Monday morning to “signal Britain’s continued support for Ukraine.”
Missile production and diplomatic friction
Burnham’s Kyiv agenda includes announcing British support to help Kyiv improve its domestic production of long-range missiles, with his office saying Britain has agreed to allow European missile manufacturer MBDA to release classified information on British-made components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile.
Reuters, via Internazionale, says the move will help enable France and Ukraine to establish local assembly lines for the missile, which shares British and French technology, and it places the announcement alongside Burnham’s co-chairing of the Coalition of the Willing.
The BBC reports that Burnham will also announce that the government has agreed to allow MBDA to declassify information on UK components for the long-range Scalp missile, and it adds that President Emmanuel Macron is looking at setting up local assembly lines for Scalp missiles in Ukraine.
Moscow has warned of “consequences” over the use of British drones by Ukraine, and the Russian embassy to the UK has accused Britain of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis.”
In response, Burnham told the BBC that “We are providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself,” maintaining that this is “the British position all the way through this conflict.”
International backing and what’s at stake
Ukraine’s Independence Day gathering is expected to draw around 10 foreign leaders to Kyiv on Monday, according to an EU official cited by Kyiv Post, as the Coalition of the Willing meets to reaffirm backing for Ukraine.
“Around 10 foreign leaders are expected in Kyiv on Monday”
Kyiv Post says the meeting will be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron (joining via video link), German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, with European Council President António Costa also expected in Kyiv.
The BBC adds that Burnham will accept an award on behalf of the British people recognising the UK’s support and take part in independence day events, while he reiterates that the friendship between the two countries will “long outlast Russia’s illegal war.”
The Independent reports that Russia’s embassy to the UK said reports that Ukrainian forces had used unmanned aircraft manufactured by two UK companies “confirm that London is deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis,” and it warned that “the higher the price it will pay.”
Across the sources, the immediate stakes of the visit are framed as continued security guarantees and support for Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, with Burnham insisting, “We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.”