By Blessing Fali
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to Ukraine, saying Britain will remain firmly behind Kyiv despite what he described as “outrageous threats” from Russia.
Burnham made the statement during his first official visit to Kyiv as prime minister on Monday, August 24, as Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day. He praised the Ukrainian people for their resilience and said the UK would continue supporting the country in its fight against Russian aggression.
The British leader also announced deeper military cooperation, including plans to share declassified information on components used in the UK’s Storm Shadow missiles. The move is expected to help Ukraine and France develop local production of long range missiles.
Russia has criticised Britain’s support for Ukraine and warned that increased British involvement could further escalate the conflict. Moscow has particularly objected to the sharing of missile technology with Kyiv.
Burnham, however, insisted that Britain would not back down, stressing that the UK and its allies would continue standing with Ukraine. He also joined other European leaders in discussions on strengthening Ukraine’s air defence and long term security.
Ukraine is currently seeking additional military assistance as Russian missile and drone attacks continue, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning that Kyiv faces a major funding gap for its defence needs.
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