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LONDON — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, using his first meeting with a foreign leader since taking office to underline London’s “unwavering support” for Kyiv.
The visit comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington on Tuesday, as the Ukrainian leader pushes to end the four-year war with Russia.
Zelenskyy is expected to renew calls to boost defense as both Moscow and Kyiv intensify drone and missile strikes, with US-led negotiations on resolving the conflict stuck while Washington’s attention has been diverted to the Iran war.
In Britain, Zelenskyy is set to visit a naval base with Burnham and hear from both countries’ armed forces personnel involved in training Ukrainian service members for battle, the prime minister’s Downing Street office announced late Sunday.
It said Burnham would vow “to continue the unbreakable bond between the two nations,” echoing what the new UK leader told Zelenskyy in a call last Monday within hours of replacing Keir Starmer.
“Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering,” Burnham, who took office on July 20, said in a statement.
“Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine.”
London also announced it will share with Kyiv the intellectual property behind a new battle-tested electronic jamming capability it has dubbed “Stone Cloak.”
The size of a tablet computer and attached to drones, the military-grade jammers can hinder Russian air defense systems from tracking and targeting such weapons in-flight, Downing Street said.
Thousands of the jammers have already been gifted to Kyiv to help its armed forces maintain drone operations, according to London.
Following their roll-out and potential mass production in Ukraine, Stone Cloak will be built into the next generation of UK deep-strike capabilities, it noted.
“Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries,” Burnham said.
‘Drone deal’
with Britain
In another sign of Ukraine’s deepening defense ties with Britain, Zelenskyy told UK broadcaster Sky News he wanted to “open a new page in our nations,” signing a “drone deal” and building a drone factory in Britain.
He admitted “we don’t have enough missiles to defend,” referring to Russia’s ultra-fast ballistic missiles that have put Ukraine’s air-defense system under strain in a recent spate of deadly attacks.
“[Moscow] can increase the production of ballistic missiles and that’s why we need air defense as quick as possible,” Zelenskyy said.
During Monday’s visit, Burnham and Zelenskyy will meet some of the approximately 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have been in Britain for the past three weeks participating in a maritime security and counter-mine exercise.
It was held to prepare for future missions in the Black Sea.
Downing Street noted the UK’s total support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion ($33 billion) since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than four years ago, including £16 billion in direct military assistance.
Zelenskyy is due in Washington on Tuesday, where he will have talks with US President Donald Trump, a White House official said last week.
Trump’s support for Ukrainian defense comes as the president faces domestic pressure to end the Middle East war, which has cost his country $37.5 billion and raised concerns over straining US weapons stockpiles. AFP
Source: Manilatimes
