British Prime Minister Andy Burnham made his first foreign trip since taking office by visiting Kyiv on August 24, 2026, coinciding with Ukraine's 35th Independence Day [1, 2, 3]. Burnham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and co-chaired the Coalition of the Willing, a 34-country group supporting Ukraine, originally established by the UK and France under the previous UK prime minister [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
During the visit, Burnham announced that the UK government has approved defense company MBDA to declassify information on British-made components of the Storm Shadow/Scalp long-range cruise missiles. This will aid Ukraine in developing local assembly lines for these missiles, which have a range of about 150 miles (241 kilometers) [1, 2, 3, 6, 7]. The Storm Shadow is a UK-French jointly developed missile, and the Scalp-EG is the French-produced equivalent that Ukraine will now receive help to produce domestically [1, 2, 3].
Burnham declared, "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. After all, Ukraine's security is our security." He added, "The friendship between our two countries will long outlast Russia’s illegal war. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace." [1, 2, 3, 8, 7]
The Coalition of the Willing meeting included European leaders joining in person, such as Luxembourg’s prime minister and Moldova’s president, while others like French President Emmanuel Macron participated via video call [2, 9, 4]. The UK has committed about £25 billion ($34 billion) in support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, including £16 billion in military aid [3, 8, 5].
Burnham’s visit comes amid intensified Russian missile and drone strikes. A drone attack on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih three days prior killed at least 16 people [1, 2, 5]. Moscow has warned the UK of consequences over supplying drones to Ukraine, escalating diplomatic tensions [1, 5, 7].
Previously in late July, during Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK, London announced it would share "Stone Cloak" electronic jamming drone technology with Ukraine to bolster its defenses [8, 5]. The UK government also cited a project called "Brakestop" aimed at rapidly developing advanced long-range strike weapons for Ukraine [8].
Burnham chaired his first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing during the Kyiv visit, reaffirming the UK's commitment to Ukraine's defense and sovereignty for as long as necessary [1, 3, 8].
