Key facts
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will visit Kyiv on Monday for his first foreign trip.
- Burnham will reaffirm the UK's support for Ukraine and attend independence day events.
- The visit includes an announcement of support for Ukraine's long-range missile production.
- The UK government will allow defense company MBDA to declassify information on UK components for the long-range Scalp missile.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will undertake his first foreign visit since taking office with a trip to Kyiv on Monday, coinciding with Ukraine's 35th independence anniversary. During the visit, Burnham will reiterate the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine and participate in independence day events. He is also set to chair the first meeting of the "coalition of the willing," a group established by the UK and France under his predecessor. A key announcement will be support for Ukraine's long-range missile production, including the declassification of information on UK components for the MBDA-manufactured Scalp missile, which shares technology with the UK's Storm Shadow missile. The visit comes amid escalating Russian strikes on Ukraine and follows Moscow's warnings of "consequences" over Ukraine's use of British drones. Burnham emphasized that the UK's support would not waver, stating, "Ukraine's security is our security."