UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to maintain support for Ukraine despite ‘outrageous threats’ from Russia, during his first official visit to the country as prime minister, according to the BBC. Burnham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and chaired his first meeting of the ‘coalition of the willing,’ set up by the UK and France under his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer.

Missile Blueprints and Strategic Aid

The UK government has agreed to provide blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the UK’s Storm Shadow cruise missile; this will allow Ukraine to produce the long-range weapon domestically. Burnham said allies were doing ‘everything we can’ to ‘dig into our own stocks and help others dig into their stocks’ of air defences to protect Ukraine.

Burnham emphasized the importance of ratcheting up economic pressure on Russia, urging the US Congress to increase sanctions; he stated, ‘This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war.’

Response to Russian Criticism

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the UK’s decision to share the missile blueprints, saying it prevented ‘even the slightest progress’ towards peace; Peskov added that the Russian military was gathering data to locate any missile production sites to destroy them. In response, Burnham said, ‘Who started the fire?; That’s the question, isn’t it?’ He added the issue of missile interceptors would be a main topic at the coalition of the willing meeting.

Burnham reaffirmed the UK’s backing for Kyiv in the wake of escalating Russian strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks, including a deadly attack on a shopping center that killed at least 16 people. In a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Burnham said the group would prioritize strengthening Kyiv’s air defences. They condemned Moscow’s ‘systemic and escalating strikes against Ukraine’s cities, critical infrastructure and civilians’ and pledged to constrain Russia’s war chest through sanctions and actions against the ‘shadow fleet.’

EU Aid and Diplomatic Efforts

The European Union has released €6.1bn (£5.2bn) in military aid for Ukraine to boost its air defences as part of a wider €90bn loan to the country. During his visit, Burnham laid flowers at the graves of Ukrainian soldiers at the National Military Memorial Cemetery and accepted an award from Zelensky on behalf of the British people. In a speech, Burnham compared Ukraine’s resistance to Russia to the UK’s fight with Nazi Germany, saying, ‘My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century, you hold that flame in the 21st.’

Burnham stated in a pre-visit statement that the UK would support Ukraine ‘as long as it takes,’ emphasizing that Ukraine’s security is their security. He added that the friendship between Ukraine and the UK would ‘long outlast Russia’s illegal war.’ The Russian embassy in the UK accused Britain of ‘deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis,’ warning that ‘the deeper its involvement in the conflict… the higher the price it will pay.’

In response, Burnham said, ‘We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change.’ When asked about the Russian threat, he maintained the UK’s position of providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself.