Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Britain on Monday where he and new Prime Minister Andy Burnham discussed continued defense cooperation. The two met about 200 Ukrainian service members training with UK troops at Portsmouth Naval Base.
Ukrainian forces are intensifying their war-fighting and counter-attack operations for operations in the Black Sea.
Speaking in Portsmouth, Burnham said, “Volodymyr, you are the first leader I have personally welcomed since taking office and that is no accident.”
“The purpose of this is to send a very clear message,” the new prime minister said, “We are 100% with Ukraine, I am personally 100% with you, and I will fully respect every commitment this country has made to Ukraine.”
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UK is providing new radar jamming technology to aid deep strike capabilities
Burnham announced that the UK was now giving Kiev access to its “Stone Cloak” electronic jamming technology, with Downing Street saying thousands of jammers had already been delivered to Kiev.
When attached to drones, the battle-tested, tablet-sized Stone Cloak jammer could shield the weapons from detection by Russian air-defense systems, giving Kiev more lethal long-range strike capabilities.
“Stone Cloak is the best of home-grown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries,” Burnham said.
The agreement comes as Ukraine has moved away from a purely defensive posture and stepped up its attacks on locations deep within Russia, particularly targeting oil, military and logistics installations.
On Sunday, Zelensky told UK broadcaster Sky News he hoped to sign a stronger “drone deal” with Burnham to boost drone production capacity and technology sharing, adding, “We don’t have enough missiles to defend against Russia’s continued air attacks”.
Russia, Zelensky said, “can increase the production of ballistic missiles and so we need air defense as soon as possible.”
Britain’s support for Kyiv continues despite changing line-up of prime ministers
Zelensky’s visit is Burnham’s first bilateral meeting with a foreign leader since taking charge at Downing Street last week and comes as the Ukrainian prepares to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.
Burnham assured Zelensky of the UK’s “unwavering support” as Kiev defends itself against more than four years of Russian aggression.
“The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and our support is unwavering,” according to a statement.
“Russia should have no doubts about our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve a long-term and just peace for Ukraine.”
Zelensky described relations with Britain as “the strongest relationship in the entire history” of the two countries.
Ahead of the meeting, Downing Street said Burnham – Zelenskyy is the fifth prime minister since Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on February 24, 2022 – would pledge to “continue to foster the unbreakable bond between the two countries.”
Downing Street said on Monday that Britain has provided almost 25 billion pounds (€29 billion, $33 billion) of aid to Ukraine since the war began, of which 16 billion was given as direct military aid.
Next, Zelensky will seek support from Trump, who is locked in his own war with Iran
From the UK, Zelensky will travel to Washington, where he will meet US President Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
Support for Trump, who is currently embroiled in his own war with Iran, has wavered during his time in office and the two leaders have had a famously contentious relationship.
However, Trump recently announced that Kiev may be allowed to build US Patriot missile systems as Russian airstrikes continue.
In his Sunday Sky News interview, Zelensky expressed understanding of Trump’s predicament, saying, “I understand that the United States is focused on the Middle East,” adding, “He will try to manage it.” [the war in Ukraine] “Some with Europeans, some with Americans and some with other countries.”
“This is a big challenge for both them and Ukraine,” he said.
Zelensky recently got a key boost from legislation in Washington when Congress advanced bipartisan legislation targeting countries that buy Russian energy, making it harder for the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin to finance their ongoing war.
While in Washington, Zelensky is also expected to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading proponent of US support for Ukraine, who died unexpectedly after returning from Kiev earlier this month.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez