U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Monday, marking his first overseas trip since taking office, to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other international leaders. The visit coincides with Ukraine's Independence Day, which commemorates 35 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Burnham is expected to announce that the U.K. government has authorized defense company MBDA to release classified information regarding British components used in the SCALP long-range missile. This disclosure would facilitate plans by France and Ukraine to commence local production of the weapon within Ukraine. The SCALP missile is the French counterpart to the UK’s Storm Shadow missile, with both weapon systems sharing French and British technological components.
European leaders also present in the Ukrainian capital include European Council President Antonio Costa, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden, and Estonian President Alar Karis. During the meeting of the "coalition of the willing," Burnham and the other leaders are expected to participate in Independence Day commemorations and discuss ongoing international support for Ukraine.