Burnham Vows Britain Will Stand with Ukraine
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised that the United Kingdom will continue supporting Ukraine despite what he called “outrageous threats” from Russia.
Speaking during his first official visit to Kyiv as prime minister, Burnham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and chaired his first meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” an international group created by Britain and France to support Ukraine. The visit took place on Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day.
Burnham said the coalition was doing everything possible to strengthen Ukraine’s defences and urged the US Congress to increase economic pressure on Moscow. He also announced that Britain would allow defence company MBDA to release information about British-made components used in the SCALP missile, the French version of Britain’s Storm Shadow cruise missile, according to BBC News.
The move could help Ukraine and France establish assembly lines in Ukraine, allowing Kyiv to produce the long-range weapons at home rather than depend entirely on foreign supplies. Britain and France have already provided SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.
“We must keep up the pressure on Russia,” Burnham said, arguing that allies should weaken Moscow’s ability to finance what he called an illegal war. He described Ukraine as “Europe’s protector” and said its security was directly linked to Britain’s security.
Moscow condemns missile plan
The Kremlin strongly criticised the decision. Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the transfer of missile information would prevent even the smallest progress towards peace. He warned that Russian forces were collecting information about possible production sites so they could be destroyed.
Burnham responded by asking: “Who started the fire?”
At the coalition meeting, air-defence missiles were expected to be a central issue. Burnham said allies were searching their own stockpiles and encouraging other countries to provide more interceptors, including Patriot systems, which Ukraine needs to defend its cities against Russian ballistic missiles.
The coalition later condemned what it called Moscow’s escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities, civilians and critical infrastructure. It also promised stronger sanctions and measures against Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The announcement came as the EU released €6.1 billion in military aid for Ukraine, mainly to strengthen air defences.
During his visit, Burnham laid flowers at a military cemetery and accepted an award from Zelensky on behalf of the British people. In a speech outside Kyiv’s St Sophia Cathedral, he compared Ukraine’s resistance to Britain’s wartime struggle against Nazi Germany.
“My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century,” he said. “You hold that flame in the 21st.”
Despite continuing Russian threats and overnight violence on both sides, Burnham said Britain would remain at Ukraine’s side until a just and lasting peace was achieved.
