Prime Minister Andy Burnham made his first international trip to Kyiv on Monday, the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. During his visit, Mr Burnham saw the human cost of the war and expressed strong support for Ukraine.
In a speech delivered in front of other Western leaders, Mr Burnham compared Ukraine’s current struggle to Britain’s fight during the Second World War. He stated, “My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century, you hold that flame in the 21st.”
The Prime Minister announced that the UK would provide British blueprints for key components of Storm Shadow cruise missiles. This initiative aims to enable Ukraine, with assistance from France, to eventually manufacture its own version of the missiles. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, expressed hope that production could begin in “months, not years.”
Mr Burnham also assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of his “personal commitment” to Ukraine’s cause and stated that Europe would do everything possible to source more Patriotic interceptors for Ukraine.