Andy Burnham welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street this afternoon with an accelerated package of British air defence missiles and a call for international partners to match the UK's sanctions on Moscow, as Russia intensifies its bombardment of Ukraine's cities and energy infrastructure.
The two leaders, who spoke by telephone on Saturday, reflected on Russia's indiscriminate attacks on civilians and power stations since President Trump called for an energy ceasefire. It was clear, both men underlined, that Russia had no interest in peace.
Missiles for the hardest months
At the heart of the visit was a 45 million pound package of Lightweight Multirole Missiles, the British-made weapons that have proved extremely effective against the jet-powered drones Russia is now using to strike far beyond the front lines, including Kyiv. Faster and higher-flying than the propeller-driven Shaheds they are replacing, the drones are harder to detect and destroy before they hit their targets.
Mr Burnham told President Zelensky that 10 million pounds of the package would be accelerated to meet Ukraine's most urgent winter requirements. Britain has already committed 1.6 billion pounds to deliver more than 5,000 of the missiles over the next four years, and the Prime Minister said the UK would keep developing innovative battlefield solutions, including retrofitting British capability onto equipment gifted by other partners.
The Visit at a Glance
- President Zelensky met Andy Burnham at Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon.
- The UK is accelerating 10 million pounds of a 45 million pound surface-to-air missile package.
- Britain has committed 1.6 billion pounds to supply more than 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles over four years.
- The UK will fully implement a maritime services ban on Russian liquefied natural gas exports.
- Zelensky was also received by the King at Buckingham Palace before travelling to Brussels.
Sanctions and the LNG ban
Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister has asked ministers to draw up further sanctions, military support and fiscal packages for the coming weeks, and that Britain stands by plans to fully implement a maritime services ban on Russian liquefied natural gas exports, restricting Moscow's access to the UK's shipping and insurance services. John Healey, attending the IMF meetings in Bangkok, is pressing partners to implement an equivalent ban, after the Foreign Secretary made the same case at the Warsaw Security Forum on Tuesday.
A careful balance
The visit required careful choreography. Mr Burnham is walking a line between full-throated support for Kyiv and a relationship with Washington that has grown more complicated, as President Trump alternates between calling for an energy ceasefire and criticising Ukraine's leadership. In Number 10, the Prime Minister told Mr Zelensky that Britain stood with him "at this difficult time" and that it was clear "who the aggressor is", while praising the Ukrainian president's restraint.
Before leaving London, President Zelensky was received by the King at Buckingham Palace, thanking His Majesty for the audience. He travels on to Brussels, where he will address the European Council on Thursday with a stark message: Ukraine's survival through the winter depends on allies turning solidarity into weapons, money and energy support, quickly.