Andy Burnham set for No 10: What Trump, Putin and others will make of him

Five years into its full-scale war with Russia, Ukraine is about to see Britain’s fifth prime minister.

There is some concern in Kiev about the risk of political instability in Britain. Ukraine’s allies need to remain focused on the giant war at the heart of Europe; Britain needs to continue its promised military aid, drone deliveries and economic support “for as long as it takes”.

But from No. 1 Prime Minister Boris Johnson (so popular that a cake here is named after him) to Britain’s No. 4 Keir Starmer, whose support for Ukraine has been constant.

There’s no sense that this will change under Burnham, given her past comments.

More generally, foreign policy priorities are unclear. But from Ukraine’s perspective, it is important that the new Prime Minister does not hesitate to recognize the threat that Russia presents to the West and remains determined to help Ukraine defend itself and therefore Europe.