Andy Burnham has shrugged off Vladimir Putin’s threats against Britain by offering Ukraine more military help and choosing the war-torn country as his first foreign visit as Prime Minister.
Burnham is in Kyiv this morning to mark Ukrainian Independence Day, with the Prime Minister promising President Volodymyr Zelensky classified information to help build long-range missiles in Ukraine.
It comes amid a drumbeat of threats from Russia over the continued support Britain is giving Ukraine to fight back against Putin’s invasion.
The Prime Minister reiterated that Britain’s support for Ukraine “will not waver” and that the Kremlin should be “in no doubt of our resolve”.
Burnham – who welcomed Zelensky to the UK last month as his first international guest as Prime Minister – arrives in Kyiv today to take part in events marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence following the break-up of the Soviet Union.
The Prime Minister is expected to meet with Zelensky and will also chair his first meeting of the coalition of the willing – the British and French-led multinational alliance brokered by Sir Keir Starmer which has pledged to deploy troops to Ukraine to help bolster its security if a peace is agreed with Russia.
To underline Britain’s commitment to Ukraine, Burnham will also announce on the visit that the Government has agreed that the defence firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the British-French SCALP long-range missile, also known as Storm Shadow.
The missile has already been supplied to Ukrainian forces but releasing the secret technical information to Kyiv will allow Ukraine, with French support, to establish local assembly lines.
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.
“I am proud of the contribution our country has made to Ukraine and I want the Ukrainian people to hear it directly from me that our support will not waver. After all, Ukraine’s security is our security.
“The friendship between our two countries will long outlast Russia’s illegal war. In both the fight and in the rebuilding to come, we will stand with Ukraine and deliver opportunities for people across both our countries.
“Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.”
During the trip, Ukraine is expected to present the Prime Minister with an award on behalf of the British people, in recognition of the UK’s support since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
Burnham’s visit is designed to send a message to Putin after a series of Russian threats.
Earlier this month, the Russian Embassy in the UK warned of “consequences” following confirmation that British-made drones were used in Ukrainian strikes on Russia. The embassy said that the “deeper [the UK’s] involvement in the conflict… the higher price it will pay”.
Putin has also threatened Britain and the other Nato countries which have seized “shadow fleet” oil tankers which Russia uses to fund its war effort.
In June, Royal Marine Commandos boarded a shadow fleet vessel in the English Channel, the Smyrtos, for allegedly breaching sanctions on the supply of illicit Russian oil.
Putin this month said the seizures were “nothing other than piracy and banditry”.
He warned that if further interceptions took place “we will have to respond in kind”, adding: “And not necessarily in the waters where raids on our ships and vessels are planned, but wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate, anywhere.”
In a further sign of the deteriorating relations between London and Moscow, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, was withdrawn from the embassy more than a month ago and is yet to be replaced.
An ambassador from another London embassy told The i Paper that the move could be aimed at putting pressure on the UK to “scale back our support to Ukraine”.
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