Prime minister Andy Burnham has hit out at Russian president Vladimir Putin during his first state visit to Kyiv, amid mounting tensions between Moscow and London.
The British leader chaired his first meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” to emphasise Britain’s continued support for Ukraine through the provision of long-range SCALP missile blueprints.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the move would add “fuel to the fire” and “prevent any progress in the peace process”.
“Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it?” Mr Burnham hit back in an address to Ukraine’s European allies on Monday.
“Putin is now hoping he can win through a campaign of terror using ballistic missiles against Ukrainian civilians.
“This can never be the route to victory, and we need to be clear in sending that message. It means doing everything we can all do, and working with our allies as well, beyond this coalition, to dig into our own stocks of air defence… to protect Ukraine from the missiles that are falling now.”
open image in galleryMr Zelensky and Mr Burnham both delivered speeches outside Kyiv’s St Sofia cathedral on the anniversary of the country’s 35th year of independence.
“Despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine,” he said.
The prime minister compared Ukraine’s battle with Russia to the British fight against Nazi Germany, saying: “My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century; you hold that flame in the 21st.”
It marked his first foray on the international stage, heading the coalition of the willing group of 34 countries set up by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, in support of Ukraine.
Tensions between London and Moscow have been mounting for weeks as it emerged over the weekend that Russia had withdrawn its ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, last month after seven years in the diplomatic post.
The lower-ranking charge d’affaires has taken the lead in his absence, according to an embassy spokesperson talking to The Times.
open image in galleryThe latest announcement of support by Mr Burnham means that the British government has agreed to allow defence firm MBDA to release classified information and blueprints on UK components for the long-range SCALP missile. The weapons are the equivalent of the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow.
Last Tuesday, it was reported that British-made drones had been used in Ukraine, prompting Moscow to threaten “consequences” for the support. It warned ominously that the greater the assistance that Britain provided, “the higher price it will pay”.
At the time, Mr Burnham doubled down, saying: “This is the UK doing what it has long said it would do, which is to support Ukraine 100 per cent against this illegal war led by Vladimir Putin.”
The European Commission, meanwhile, has approved a further €6.1bn (£5.2bn) in financial aid for Ukraine, to be spent on buying defence systems, including air defence, missiles, ammunition and radars.
open image in galleryThe latest aid package came after €16bn of previously approved procurement plans, of which €8.35bn had already been disbursed, according to the EU.
“As Russia intensifies its attacks, we are stepping up to help Ukraine protect its people and defend its skies. Europe stands with Ukraine and we will deliver what it needs, when it needs it,” EC president Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
In other developments in the war, Russian attacks killed three people near Kharkiv overnight on Sunday, according to the region’s governor, while Moscow claimed debris from a Ukrainian drone killed two children in Russia’s Krasnodar.