UK PM Andy Burnham meets Zelenskyy and vows ‘unwavering’ backing for Ukraine

Ukraine president Zelenskyy has met new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to the UK, as the two allies vow to continue working closely on defence and military manufacturing.

The Ukrainian president’s trip to a naval base in Portsmouth marked the first foreign leader visit since Mr Burnham was sworn in as prime minister last week, which also came hours after Russia carried out ballistic missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital.

During the visit, Mr Burnham and Mr Zelenskyy were due to meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have spent the past three weeks in Britain taking part in Exercise Sea Breeze, a maritime security and counter-mine exercise designed to prepare participants for future missions in the Black Sea. Mr Burnham also said Britain would provide new, home-grown jamming technology to protect Ukrainian drones in the war.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK’s total support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion ($47.5 billion), including £16 billion in military assistance and £5.6 billion in non-military support, according to Downing Street. Mr Burnham is the fifth British prime minister Mr Zelenskyy has dealt with since Russia launched the war in 2022.

Speaking with Sky News UK before the meeting, Mr Zelenskyy said former UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer had promised to him that the UK would remain a close ally of Ukraine under Mr Burnham. Mr Burnham’s predecessor Sir Keir Starmer visited Kyiv days before he stood down earlier this month, where he pledged €300 million ($488 million) to help equip Ukraine with a squadron of 16 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets.