Burnham to meet Zelenskyy at UK naval base in show of ‘unwavering’ support | Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be Andy Burnham’s first overseas visitor as prime minister, and Burnham said he underlined Britain’s “unwavering” support for Ukraine.

Less than two weeks after Keir Starmer traveled to Kiev for the final foreign visit of his premiership, the Ukrainian president will join Burnham on Monday at a naval base where Ukrainian forces are training.

Zelenskyy was one of the first world leaders Burnham spoke to when she turned 10 last week, and the prime minister vowed to continue Starmer’s strong support for the country in pushing back against Russia’s invasion.

During the visit to the base, the duo will meet with Ukrainian and British military personnel participating in Exercise Sea Breeze, a 15-nation training deployment based on mine drills and other naval operations in the Black Sea.

second part this year’s exerciseThe operation, which took place in Portland, Dorset, ended on Friday and involved more than 200 Ukrainian personnel.

Burnham and Zelenskyy will also discuss joint projects, including Stone Cloak, an electronic signal jammer for which the UK shares intellectual property, allowing Ukraine to immediately use the system.

Thousands of signal jammers, each the size of a tablet computer, were sent to Ukraine to be installed on unmanned aerial vehicles in order to prevent Russian air defense systems from tracking and targeting them.

Ukraine can now mass produce the devices itself. After first being used there, the jammers are planned to be fitted to Britain’s new weapons, including cruise missiles.

In a comment published by Downing Street ahead of the visit, Burnham said: “The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and our support is unwavering. Russia should have no doubts about our determination and we will not back down until we achieve a long-lasting and fair peace for Ukraine.”

“Stone Cloak is the best innovation produced in Britain and has been proven on the front lines and will be vital to keeping us safe in both countries.”

According to statistics released by No 10, the UK’s total support to the country since Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has reached £25 billion, including £16 billion in military aid.

Starmer has visited Ukraine several times and regularly hosts Zelenskyy. One of the most telling indicators of UK support was that, following a March 2025 visit to the White House in which the Ukrainian leader was publicly rebuked by Donald Trump, he traveled to the UK and met not only Starmer but also King Charles at Sandringham, which is essentially the royal home and rarely used for official events.

During Starmer’s recent visit to Ukraine, Zelenskyy presented him with the country’s Order of Freedom, the most prestigious honor that can be bestowed on an overseas national.

At a press conference with Starmer, the Ukrainian president said he hoped to build a strong relationship with Burnham and arrange a meeting “as soon as possible”.