UK’s Burnham to welcome Ukraine’s Zelensky as first foreign visitor

LONDON - British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will on July 27 host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as his first foreign leader since taking office a week ago, to underline London’s “unwavering support” for Kyiv.

The pair were set to visit a British naval base and hear from both countries’ armed forces personnel involved in training Ukrainian service members for battle, Burnham’s Downing Street office announced late on July 26.

It said he would vow “to continue the unbreakable beyond between the two nations”, echoing what the new UK leader told Zelensky in a call on July 20 within hours of replacing Keir Starmer.

“Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering,” Burnham said in a statement.

“Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long lasting and just peace for Ukraine.”

London also announced it will share with Kyiv the intellectual property behind a new battle-tested electronic jamming capability it has dubbed “Stone Cloak”.

The size of a tablet computer and attached to drones, the military-grade jammers can hinder Russian air defence systems from tracking and targeting such weapons in-flight, Downing Street said.

It noted the device stemmed from the “rapid innovation” being developed between the two allies under a 100-year partnership pact signed in January 2025.

Thousands of the jammers have already been gifted to Kyiv to help its armed forces maintain drone operations, according to London.

Following their roll-out and potential mass production in Ukraine, Stone Cloak will be built into the next generation of UK deep-strike capabilities, it noted.

“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,” Burnham said.

During the visit on July 27, he and Zelensky will meet some of the approximately 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have been in Britain for the past three weeks participating in a maritime security and counter-mine exercise.

It was held to prepare for future missions in the Black Sea.

Downing Street noted the UK’s total support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion (S$43 billion) since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than four years ago, including £16 billion in direct military assistance. AFP