New Prime Minister of Great Britain Andy Burnham pledged Ukraine “unwavering support” during his first meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and confirmed his readiness for further defense cooperation.
Burnham, who is the fifth Prime Minister of Great Britain to engage with Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the onset of the full-scale war in February 2022, emphasized that supporting Ukraine remains a top priority for his government.
President Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine “lacks missiles for defense” against Russia’s hypersonic ballistic missiles, which have recently placed a significant strain on the country’s air defense system.
“Moscow can increase the production of ballistic missiles, and therefore we need air defense as soon as possible”, Zelenskyy stressed.
In another indication of strengthening defense cooperation between Ukraine and Great Britain, Zelenskyy told Sky News on Sunday that he aims to finalize a large-scale “drone agreement”, which would facilitate increased production and technology exchange.
The first bilateral meeting of Burnham with a foreign leader took place on Monday when Zelenskyy visited Great Britain on his way to Washington, where he plans to discuss further efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine with President Donald Trump.
Burnham noted that it was no coincidence that Zelenskyy was the first international leader he met after taking office. “This is a clear signal that Great Britain 100% supports Ukraine”, the Prime Minister stated. He also assured that he would honor all commitments previously made by London to Kyiv and expressed his intention to visit Ukraine “in the near future”.
Defense Cooperation and New Technologies
The two leaders visited a naval base in Portsmouth, where they spoke with military personnel involved in training Ukrainian defenders. According to the British government, the training aims to enhance the combat capabilities of Ukrainian forces and improve counter-mine operations in the Black Sea.
Great Britain will also transfer to Ukraine the intellectual property of a new electronic warfare system, Stone Cloak, which can jam Russian air defense systems and assist drones in avoiding detection.
Zelenskyy continues to urge allies to increase military aid as ceasefire negotiations mediated by the United States have slowed, and Washington’s focus has partially shifted to developments in Iran.
“Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and our support will remain unchanged. Russia should not doubt our determination, and we will not retreat until a fair and lasting peace for Ukraine is achieved”, Burnham stated.
Source: Al Jazeera
