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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday in his first meeting with a foreign leader since taking office.
The visit comes ahead of Zelensky’s scheduled trip to Washington on Tuesday, where he is expected to meet US President Donald Trump as Ukraine continues efforts to end its more than four-year war with Russia.
According to Downing Street, Burnham and Zelensky will visit a UK naval base and meet British and Ukrainian military personnel involved in training Ukrainian forces.
The Prime Minister said Britain remained firmly committed to supporting Kyiv.
“Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine,” Burnham said.
The UK also announced it would share the intellectual property for its new electronic jamming technology, known as Stone Cloak, with Ukraine. The battle-tested system helps drones evade Russian air defence systems and has already been supplied to Ukrainian forces. Both countries are expected to cooperate on expanding production, with the technology also set to feature in the UK’s future deep-strike capabilities.
In an interview with Sky News, Zelensky said he hopes to deepen defence cooperation with Britain through a new drone partnership.
“We’re ready to share all our experience with the UK, and I hope that the UK will do the same. We need to make this drone deal very strong,” he said.
Zelensky also renewed calls for stronger air defence support, warning that Russia continues to increase production of ballistic missiles.
“We don’t have enough missiles to defend… We need air defence as quick as possible,” he said.
During the visit, the two leaders will also meet around 200 Ukrainian military personnel currently undergoing maritime security and counter-mine training in Britain ahead of future Black Sea operations.
The UK government said its total support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion, including £16 billion in direct military assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Following his UK visit, Zelensky is expected to travel to Washington for talks with President Trump, with discussions likely to focus on military support, air defence, and efforts to revive stalled peace negotiations.
