New UK PM Andy Burnham to visit Kyiv on first foreign trip

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will visit Ukraine on Monday on his first international visit since taking office last month.

The Labour Party leader’s visit comes as he announced that the United Kingdom will help support Kyiv with its domestic production of long-range missiles.

The UK has “agreed that defence firm MBDA can release classified information on Brtish-made components for the long-range missile, SCALP, to establish local assembly lines in Ukraine,” a statement said.

The decision to release the classified information on the missile, which uses both British and French technology, would allow France and Ukraine to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile.

“It also complements the major UK effort to rapidly develop low-cost advanced long-range strike weapons for Ukraine through Project Brakestop,” the statement added.

Along with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Burnham will co-chair the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, which brings together countries supporting Kyiv.

The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with some participants attending in person and others via video conference.

The office of Irish prime minister Micheal Martin indicated that he would participate remotely.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Nordic and Baltic leaders and held bilateral talks focused on joint defence cooperation.

Zelenskyy also welcomed US Senators Richard Blumenthal and James Lankford to Kyiv. The president said he briefed the pair on the continuing ballistic missile threat from Russia and the need for improved air defences.

European Council President António Costa is also expected to be heading to Ukraine along with other international guests including Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden.

The meeting comes ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations on Monday.

“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,” Burnham said in a statement.

The UK has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, pledging around £25 billion (€29.2 billion) in support to date, including £16 billion (€18.7) in military aid.