British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will make his first foreign visit since taking office on Monday, traveling to Kiev to express the United Kingdom's support for Ukraine and attend ceremonies marking the country's 35th anniversary of independence.
During the visit, Burnham is expected to chair his first meeting of the "coalition of the willing", created by the United Kingdom and France under the leadership of his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.
The British prime minister will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and take part in Independence Day activities. He is also expected to accept an award on behalf of the British people in recognition of London's support for Ukraine.
The visit comes at a time of heightened tension, following an escalation of Russian attacks in Ukraine in recent weeks. An attack on a shopping mall on Friday left at least 16 people dead.
"The Ukrainian people should have no doubt: the United Kingdom is with you today and for as long as it takes," Burnham declared ahead of the visit.
He stressed that British support for Ukraine will not fade and that Ukraine's security is directly linked to the security of the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Moscow has warned London of "consequences" over Ukraine's use of British drones in recent attacks on targets on Russian territory. Kiev has intensified long-range strikes, hitting oil refineries and warehouses in Russia, among other targets.
Burnham is also expected to announce that the British government has agreed to allow defense company MBDA to declassify information on British components of the Scalp long-range missile, equivalent to the Storm Shadow.
Burnham's visit also comes at a time of diplomatic tensions between London and Moscow. Russia has confirmed the departure of its ambassador Andrei Kelin from London, while the Kremlin has yet to propose a successor.
