Aug 24 (BBC/GNA) – Andy Burnham is in Ukraine’s capital today on his first overseas trip as UK prime minister.
The visit marks 35 years of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, and he will announce an agreement for Ukraine to start producing its own models of the British storm shadow cruise missile.
The prime minister will also chair his first meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, the partnership of more than 35 nations backing Ukraine.
Burnham will also be meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, almost a month on from their first meeting in Portsmouth.
He will say he wants the Ukrainian people to hear directly from him that British support will not waver, as long as it takes and that Russia’s threats against the UK only strengthen that resolve.
The long-range missile Burnham is giving Ukraine the blueprints for is capable of hitting targets around 150 miles (241km) into Russia – not as far as Ukraine’s deep strike drone capability but it’s a significant step in showing the willingness of international partners to share weapons technology.
And Ukraine hopes for the same with patriot interceptor missiles, which it desperately needs more of to defend against Russian ballistic attacks.
GNA/BBC