Zelenskyy to become Burnham’s first foreign guest as drone deal looms
Photo: UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham (facebook.com/BurnhamGM)
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham will receive President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as his first foreign guest in office – already on Monday, July 27, according to Reuters.
Where the meeting will take place
The leaders are to meet at a naval base, where they will be briefed on the work of UK-led training programs that are strengthening the Ukrainian army and delivering real results on the battlefield.
"Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering. 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," Burnham stated.
What agreement do they plan to sign
According to The Telegraph, during the visit, Burnham is to sign an agreement with Zelenskyy that will allow Ukraine to establish mass production of British Stone Cloak devices – signal jammers.
These devices are installed on strike drones to interfere with Russian air defense systems and make them harder to detect. Britain will transfer the intellectual property rights for the technology to Ukraine, while continuing its own support, and both countries will use battlefield data to improve future weapons.
Who else the leaders will meet
During the visit, Burnham and Zelenskyy will meet with over 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have spent the past three weeks in Britain participating in Sea Breeze exercises – focused on maritime security and mine countermeasures training for future missions in the Black Sea.
How much aid Britain has already provided
Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Britain's total support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion ($33.3 billion), including £16 billion in military aid and £5.6 billion in non-military support.
Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, visited Kyiv just days before his resignation this month, where he pledged €300 million ($345 million) to equip Ukraine with a squadron of 16 Swedish Gripen fighter jets.
