LONDON – Andy Burnham has promised to keep up the pressure on Russia despite Moscow’s “outrageous threats”, on his first official visit to Ukraine as UK prime minister.
Burnham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and chaired his first meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, set up by the UK and France under his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer.
He said the coalition was “doing everything we can” while urging the US Congress to “ratchet up” economic pressure on Russia. The government has agreed to hand over blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the UK’s Storm Shadow cruise missile – allowing Ukraine to produce the long-range weapon domestically.
During the meeting with France and Ukraine, Burnham said allies were doing “everything we can” to “dig into our own stocks and help others dig into their stocks” of air defences to protect Ukraine. “This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war,” Burnham said, praising the “strength” of the Ukrainian people.
“Ukraine has been Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security but the front line in keeping Europe safe.” It comes after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised the UK’s decision to share the missile blueprints. Peskov said it prevented “even the slightest progress” towards achieving peace. He told reporters on Monday that the Russian military was already gathering data to locate any missile production sites to destroy them. “Britain is involved in this war on the side of the Kyiv regime. Britain methodically and regularly adds fuel to the fire,” he added.
In response, Burnham said: “Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it?”
He added the issue of missile interceptors would be the main topic at the coalition of the willing meeting. Burnham has been reaffirming the UK’s backing for Kyiv in the wake of escalating Russian strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks – including one on a shopping centre on Friday that killed at least 16 people. Burnham has been reaffirming the UK’s backing for Kyiv in the wake of escalating Russian strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks – including one on a shopping centre on Friday that killed at least 16 people.
On Monday morning the prime minister laid flowers at the graves of Ukrainian soldiers during a service at the National Military Memorial Cemetery.
He accepted an award from Zelensky on behalf of the British people recognising the UK’s support for Ukraine during an independence day event outside the St Sofia cathedral in Kyiv.
In a speech, Burnham compared Ukraine’s resistance to Russia to the UK’s fight with Nazi Germany, saying: “My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century, you hold that flame in the 21st.”
In a statement issued ahead of the visit, the prime minister 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.
