Burnham will receive Zelenskyy during the first visit of a foreign leader under his premiership
Kyiv • UNN
Andy Burnham will hold his first meeting with a foreign leader, hosting Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Britain will transfer to Ukraine the intellectual property of the "Stone Cloak" system and will discuss a drone agreement.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, using his first meeting with a foreign leader since taking office to underscore London's "unwavering support" for Kyiv, UNN reports citing AFP.
Details
The visit comes ahead of Zelensky's trip to Washington on Tuesday, as the Ukrainian leader seeks an end to the four-year war with Russia, the publication notes.
"Zelensky is expected to renew calls for stronger defense, as Moscow and Kyiv intensify drone and missile strikes, and US-led conflict settlement talks have stalled, with Washington's attention shifting to the war in Iran," the publication writes.
"In the UK, Zelensky will visit a naval base with Burnham and listen to servicemen from the armed forces of both countries who are involved in training Ukrainian troops for combat," the British Prime Minister's office on Downing Street announced late Sunday.
The statement says Burnham will pledge to "continue the unbreakable bond between the two countries," echoing what the new UK leader told Zelensky during a phone call last Monday within hours of replacing Keir Starmer.
"The UK stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering," said Burnham, who took office on July 20.
"Russia should have no doubt about our determination, and we will not back down until we achieve a lasting and just peace for Ukraine," he stated.
London also announced it will share with Kyiv the intellectual property behind a new battle-tested electronic jamming system it called "Stone Cloak."
It is noted that the device is the result of "rapid innovations" being developed between the two allies under a 100-year partnership pact signed last January.
According to London, thousands of jammers have already been donated to Kyiv to help its armed forces sustain drone operations.
As noted, "after their deployment and potential mass production in Ukraine, 'Stone Cloak' will be built into the next generation of British long-range strike assets."
"'Stone Cloak' is the best British innovation tested on the front line, and it will be vital for protecting our security in both our countries," said Burnham.
Another sign of deepening defense ties between Ukraine and the UK is that Zelensky told British broadcaster Sky News he wants to "open a new page in our countries" by signing a "Drone Deal" and building a drone manufacturing plant in the UK.
"We are ready to share all our experience with the UK, and I hope the UK will do the same, so we need to make this Drone Deal very strong," Zelensky said in an interview aired on Sunday.
He acknowledged that "we do not have enough missiles for defense." "(Moscow) can increase production of ballistic missiles, and therefore we need air defense as soon as possible," Zelensky said.
During Monday's visit, Burnham and Zelensky are reported to "meet with some of the approximately 200 Ukrainian servicemen and sailors who have been in the UK for the past three weeks, taking part in maritime security and mine countermeasure training." This was conducted to prepare for future missions in the Black Sea.
Downing Street noted that total UK support for Ukraine has reached 25 billion pounds ($33 billion) since Russia's full-scale invasion over four years ago, including 16 billion pounds in direct military aid.
Zelensky is to visit Washington on Tuesday, where he will hold talks with US President Donald Trump, a White House official said last week.
It is also expected that the Ukrainian leader will attend the funeral of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a supporter of Ukraine, who died earlier this month.
Trump and Zelenskyy, the publication writes, "had tense relations that evolved from a heated exchange in the Oval Office in February 2025 to warmer ties in recent months."
This month, the U.S. president told Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit that he is granting Ukraine permission to build U.S.-designed Patriot air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
Washington has also advanced bipartisan legislation targeting countries that purchase Russian energy resources, which, it is noted, potentially paves the way for increased pressure on Moscow.
Trump's support for Ukraine's defense comes amid domestic pressure on the U.S. president to end the war in the Middle East, which has cost his country $37.5 billion and raised concerns about the depletion of American weapons stockpiles, the publication notes.
"I understand that the United States is focusing on the Middle East," Zelenskyy told Sky News.
"I am now trying to resolve this with some Europeans, Americans, and some other countries. This is a big challenge for me, a big challenge for Ukraine," he said.