Zelenskiy visits Britain as Burnham pledges £45 million missile package
Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Britain on Wednesday for meetings with Andy Burnham and King Charles as London pledged missiles and sought further pressure on Russia.
London, United Kingdom. Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Britain on Wednesday for talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles, who are set to reaffirm their support following a sharp deterioration in the Ukrainian leader’s relations with the US. Burnham announced plans to supply Ukraine with surface-to-air missiles worth £45 million ($59.60 million).
Missile deliveries and further assistance
The missiles are intended to bring down Russian drones powered by jet engines. Deliveries accounting for £10 million of the package will be accelerated to address Ukraine’s urgent requirements.
In a statement issued ahead of the meeting, Burnham pledged that Britain would stand by Ukrainians for as long as necessary and increase the scale and pace of assistance for their fight for peace in Europe. He said supporting Ukraine was essential to the safety of people in Britain and promised additional military assistance.
Burnham has instructed officials to prepare more sanctions alongside military and fiscal assistance. His foreign and finance ministers have also been urging allies to adopt Britain’s ban on maritime services supporting exports of Russian liquefied natural gas.
Strains with Washington
The planned show of British support recalls Zelenskiy’s London visit following his confrontation with US President Donald Trump and his deputy, JD Vance, in February 2025.
Over the weekend, Trump called for Zelenskiy’s replacement as Ukrainian leader. His remarks came days after he reached an agreement with Moscow to remove sanctions affecting Russian diesel exports.
Britain has stated its opposition to that US-Russia agreement and urged allies to maintain economic pressure on Moscow.
Security talks after Russian attacks
Announcing his arrival on X, Zelenskiy said the visit followed another night of intense Russian attacks. He reached Britain hours after Ukraine alleged that restrictions imposed on Starlink services by Elon Musk’s SpaceX had crippled its drones.
Zelenskiy said his Wednesday meetings with King Charles and Burnham would cover a broad range of security matters. He added that decisions were being prepared to strengthen Ukraine and expressed gratitude to the king, the prime minister and Britain for their support.
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