UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged his government’s “unwavering” support for Ukraine ahead of talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is due to become the first international leader to visit him since he took office a week ago.
The two leaders are expected to visit a naval base on Monday, where Burnham will announce that the UK will share the intellectual property behind its new “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system, allowing Ukraine to produce the technology at scale.
The Stone Cloak jammers, which are about the size of a tablet computer, are designed to block the detection of drones they are fitted to. The UK Ministry of Defence has already supplied thousands of the devices to Ukrainian forces to strengthen their drone operations.
Downing Street said the technology will also be integrated into the UK’s next generation of long range weapons, including Project Brakestop, a government programme developing low cost cruise missiles.
In a statement on Sunday, Burnham said: “Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries.”
Speaking to the BBC before the visit, Burnham reaffirmed his backing for Kyiv, saying: “My support for Ukraine is unwavering – it is 100%. And I will do what, in Ukraine, people think is the right thing that they need.”
He also praised his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, for his backing of Ukraine, adding: “He will get exactly the same from me.”
Burnham and Zelensky will also meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have spent the past three weeks in the UK taking part in Exercise Sea Breeze, a maritime exercise aimed at strengthening warfighting capabilities and counter mine measures in the Black Sea.
Britain has maintained its support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion four years ago and has committed £25 billion to Kyiv’s warfighting efforts.
Shortly after speaking with Burnham following his appointment, Zelensky wrote on X: “I truly appreciate that the support for Ukraine and our people will remain steadfast.”
Reflecting on political changes in Europe, Zelensky said: “Of course I’m afraid of changes, of course we are afraid because we are in the war each day.”
He added: “But again the priority is the relation between nations, not just between just people. I’m sure that these relations will not change, or we have to do our best not to lose such very good relations.”
Zelensky also said: “I hope we will never lose strong relations with the UK during or after the war.”
Sir Keir replied: “You won’t.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
