Andy Burnham will today fly to Kyiv and will hand Zelensky secret blueprints for Storm Shadow missiles on his first visit to the country as Prime in solidarity for Ukraine after Russia threatened Britain following raids using UK drones.
Also, the Prime Minister will take part in independence day celebrations and accept an award recognising the UK’s support.
It follows the Kremlin warning of ‘consequences’ over UK drones being used by Ukraine to strike far into Russia.
Moscow said the deeper Britain became involved, ‘the higher price it will pay’.
Burnham replied: ‘On Ukraine’s 35th anniversary of independence, its people should be in no doubt: The UK is behind you.
‘In the fight and the rebuilding to come, we stand with Ukraine. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down till there is a lasting peace,’ the Prime Minister continued.
But Russia said relations with Britain are at ‘an unprecedentedly low level’ as it ordered its ambassador Andrey Kelin back to Moscow after seven years in post.
Kelin has accused the UK of choosing ‘a path of confrontation’ with Russia. Meanwhile, Kremlin has not yet put forward a replacement candidate, raising questions about whether Russia is seeking to downgrade its diplomatic relations with the UK.
Moscow accused Britain seeks to escalate the crisis ‘while hypocritically professing a desire for peace’.
