In his first major diplomatic moment since entering Downing Street just a week ago, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to London as the first foreign leader of his premiership.
Downing Street said the trip is meant to signal Britain’s “unwavering support” for Kyiv as Ukraine continues to face Russia’s war.
Burnham and Zelensky are scheduled to travel to a British naval base, where they will receive briefings from British and Ukrainian armed forces personnel involved in training Ukrainian service members for combat.
Burnham is expected to reaffirm what he told Zelensky in a phone call last Monday—made within hours of replacing Keir Starmer—by pledging “to continue the unbreakable bond between the two nations”.
“Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering,” Mr 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.”
Alongside the high-level talks, London announced it will provide Kyiv with the intellectual property for a new battle-tested electronic jamming capability known as “Stone Cloak”.
Downing Street said the tablet-sized, military-grade jammers—designed to be attached to drones—can disrupt Russian air defence systems, making it harder for them to track and target such weapons while in flight.
Officials said the technology grew out of “rapid innovation” pursued jointly under a 100-year partnership pact signed by the two allies in January last year.
According to London, thousands of the jammers have already been donated to Ukraine to help its forces sustain drone operations.
Zelensky due in Washington
Downing Street said that as Stone Cloak is rolled out and potentially mass-produced in Ukraine, it will also be incorporated into the next generation of UK deep-strike capabilities.
“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,” Mr Burnham said.
During Zelensky’s visit, the two leaders will also meet some of the roughly 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have spent the past three weeks in Britain taking part in a maritime security and counter-mine exercise.
The training was designed to prepare for future operations in the Black Sea.
Downing Street said the UK’s overall support for Ukraine now totals £25 billion since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than four years ago, including £16 billion in direct military assistance.
Zelensky is scheduled to travel to Washington tomorrow for talks with US President Donald Trump, according to a White House official cited last week.
He is also expected to attend the funeral of US senator Lindsey Graham, a supporter of Ukraine who died earlier this month.
