London, July 27 (SANA) British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Monday in his first meeting with a foreign leader since taking office, reaffirming Britain’s support for Ukraine as Kyiv seeks additional military assistance ahead of high-level talks in Washington, France 24 reported.
The visit comes a day before Zelensky is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, with Ukraine pushing for stronger air defenses and defense cooperation as Russian drone and missile attacks continue and U.S.-led peace efforts remain stalled.
According to Downing Street, Burnham and Zelensky will visit a British naval base and meet British and Ukrainian military personnel involved in training Ukrainian forces under the two countries’ security partnership.
“Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering,” Burnham said in a statement, pledging to maintain what he described as an “unbreakable bond” between the two countries.
The British government also announced it would share the intellectual property behind Stone Cloak, a battle-tested electronic jamming system designed to help drones evade Russian air-defense systems. The handheld device has already been supplied to Ukraine in significant numbers and was jointly developed under the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership agreement signed last year.
London said the technology will also be incorporated into the next generation of Britain’s long-range strike capabilities.
In an interview with Sky News, Zelensky said Ukraine hopes to deepen defense cooperation with Britain through a new “drone deal,” including plans to establish a drone manufacturing facility in the UK.
“We’re ready to share all our experience with the UK, and I hope that the UK will do the same,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president also renewed calls for additional air-defense systems, warning that Russia continues to expand production of ballistic missiles.
“We don’t have enough missiles to defend,” he said, adding that Ukraine needs air-defense capabilities “as quick as possible.”
During the visit, the two leaders are expected to meet around 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have been participating in a three-week maritime security and mine-countermeasure exercise in Britain aimed at preparing for future operations in the Black Sea.
Downing Street said British support for Ukraine has reached £25 billion ($33 billion) since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, including £16 billion in military assistance.
Zelensky is scheduled to travel to Washington on Tuesday for talks with Trump and is also expected to attend the funeral of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime supporter of Ukraine who died earlier this month.
Relations between Trump and Zelensky have improved in recent months after a period of tensions, with Washington recently approving Ukrainian production of U.S.-designed Patriot air-defense systems and advancing bipartisan legislation targeting countries that continue purchasing Russian energy.
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