British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day, his first foreign trip since taking office. He is scheduled to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and chair a session of the 'coalition of the willing' established under his predecessor, Keir Starmer.
Burnham will announce a government decision to permit defense company MBDA to disclose classified information about British components for the long-range SCALP missile — the French counterpart to Britain's Storm Shadow. This will allow Ukraine and France to launch assembly lines for such missiles on Ukrainian territory. Kyiv will for the first time receive from Western allies the technology to produce long-range cruise missiles developed by NATO countries.
'On the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, the Ukrainian people should have no doubt: Britain supports you today and will support you for as long as it takes. The friendship between our two countries will long outlive Russia's illegal war,' Burnham said before the visit. He stressed that Russia should not doubt London's resolve: 'We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.'
French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans in mid-July to grant Ukraine a license to produce SCALP, but launching assembly also required Britain's approval. Macron also mentioned plans to produce Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles in Ukraine, linking this to a promise by U.S. President Donald Trump to issue a license for Patriot interceptor production. As The New York Times reported, Trump's promise was likely spontaneous, and he later reconsidered due to fears of technology theft by Russia.
Earlier, the Sunday Times reported that Russia's ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, completed his mission on July 21, and a new ambassador has not yet been appointed. British media interpreted this as a signal of Moscow's displeasure with London's support for Ukraine, but the Russian embassy said it does not reflect an intention to downgrade diplomatic relations. Russia's Foreign Ministry, in turn, accused London of escalating the conflict and threatened consequences.