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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has travelled to Kyiv for his first international visit since taking office, his office said Monday.
The visit coincides with Ukraine’s 35th independence anniversary and comes as Britain renews its support for Kyiv in its war with Russia. Burnham will co-chair his first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of countries supporting Ukraine.
The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with some leaders attending in person and others joining by video conference.
Burnham’s visit follows Britain’s decision to allow defence company MBDA to release classified information on UK components of the long-range SCALP missile.
The move is expected to help France and Ukraine establish local assembly lines for the missile in Ukraine.
The SCALP is the French version of Britain’s Storm Shadow missile, with both systems using French and British technology.
Britain was the first country to supply Ukraine with long-range strike weapons for defensive purposes in 2023, according to Downing Street.
The British government said releasing the classified information would allow France and Ukraine to move ahead with local missile production.
It also said the move would complement Project Brakestop, a British programme to develop low-cost, long-range strike weapons for Ukraine.
“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.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin is expected to join the Coalition of the Willing meeting remotely.
Burnham’s visit comes weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited London, where Britain announced plans to share information on a new electronic jamming system known as Stone Cloak.
The tablet-sized, military-grade system can be attached to drones to disrupt Russian air defence systems and make the weapons harder to track and target.
Britain has remained one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. According to Downing Street, Britain has committed about £25 billion ($34 billion) in support for Ukraine, including £16 billion in military aid.
