British Prime Minister Andy Burnham followed up his first official meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Portsmouth Naval Base in July, by traveling to Kyiv on Monday for Independence Day celebrations. File Photo via Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 24 (UPI) -- On his first visit to Ukraine as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham promised Monday to share Anglo-French long-range cruise missile technology with Kyiv in its fight with Russia, saying Britain would stand with Ukraine until there was "a just and lasting peace."
Burnham said European defense contractor MBDA would be authorized to declassify blueprints for the parts of the Storm Shadow/Scalp missiles that are made by Britain to help Ukraine build its own version of the weapon that Britain has for the past three years been giving to Kyiv.
The Storm Shadow enables Ukrainian forces to hit targets 150 miles inside Russia.
Burnham said Britain would join forces with France to build production plants in Ukraine following a similar pledge of help by President Emmanuel Macron, who also told Zelensky at the weekend that France would supply Kyiv with more anti-missile interceptors in the wake of a series of deadly ballistic missile strikes.
