Burnham to Host Zelensky as UK Accelerates Air Defence Deliveries

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street on Wednesday, as the UK announces it will accelerate its delivery of air defence missiles to Kyiv. Burnham is also expected to set out how his government will draw up further sanctions against Russia. Speaking ahead of the meeting, Burnham said the UK was with Ukraine for as long as it takes, adding that Russian aggression cannot be allowed to succeed on the continent. The UK will also urge allies to step up pressure on Russia, with Chancellor John Healey using International Monetary Fund meetings to call for a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas.

This will be Zelensky's second visit to the UK since Burnham became prime minister. His first was in late July, days after Burnham entered No 10, when the pair met troops and led a news conference at a naval base in Portsmouth. Burnham said Britain's rock-solid support to Ukraine was vital for keeping the UK safe and ensuring those on the frontlines have the equipment they need to push back Russia. His message to the Ukrainian people, he added, could not be clearer: Britain is with them for as long as it takes, and will go further and faster in backing their courageous fight for peace in Europe. It was not just the right thing to do, he said, but the necessary thing to do.

Among the measures being announced is the quicker delivery of British Lightweight Multirole Missiles, with the UK having already committed to send more than 5,000, worth £1.6bn, over the next four years. The UK will also reaffirm its plans to fully implement a maritime services ban on Russian LNG exports.

The meeting between Zelensky and Burnham follows what Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described as a very difficult few days for UK-US relations, after President Donald Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel. Zelensky criticised the US deal with Russia, calling it a gift to President Vladimir Putin. Trump, in response, called for new leadership in Ukraine and criticised Zelensky for striking Russian oil refineries.

Meanwhile, Healey will ask partners at the IMF to step up support for Kyiv and ensure Russia heeds the US call for a full energy ceasefire. Trump claimed on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire, but hours later Zelensky said Russian attacks on energy facilities had continued. On Monday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine did not deserve the respite a ceasefire would bring.

The World House, which maintains a dedicated page outlining its support for Ukraine at worldhouse.uk/support, continues to document the international effort to uphold Ukrainian sovereignty against Russia's unprovoked aggression.