The President of the European Council, António Costa, and the British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, arrived in Kyiv this Monday to commemorate Ukraine’s Independence Day from the former Soviet Union, according to the country’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha. Both will participate in the events organized by the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Among the authorities also participating in the commemoration are, among others, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden; the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu; and the President of Estonia, Alar Karis.
“On Ukraine’s Independence Day, we show our unwavering support,” wrote the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, early this morning on her social media profile X (formerly Twitter). “Today, we have approved 6.1 billion euros for air defense and missile defense systems, missiles, ammunition, and radars that Ukraine urgently needs. Europe stands with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as necessary.”
Technology delivery
Burnham has given the green light for the delivery to Ukraine of the secret technological information necessary for the manufacture of the British components of the long-range Storm Shadow or SCALP missiles. Jointly manufactured with France in the European consortium MBDA, this type of air-to-ground missile has a range of 250 kilometers. Its capability is not as extensive as what the drones Kyiv already launches against Russian territory, but the delivery of the patent has enormous symbolic strength in reaffirming London’s sustained commitment to supporting Zelensky’s government’s war effort.
Burnham’s visit to Kyiv is the first since he took the reins at Downing Street. Last July, he received Zelensky at the naval base in Portsmouth, where he reaffirmed his willingness to maintain “one hundred percent” support for Kyiv, initiated by Conservative Boris Johnson and sustained by successive prime ministers.
“The friendship of our two countries will survive the illegal war [launched by] Russia. Both in combat and in the subsequent reconstruction, we will stand by Ukraine and thus create opportunities for the citizens of both countries,” Burnham had assured before departing for Kyiv. His message, like those of his predecessors, emphasized the economic opportunities that added support for Kyiv brings: “Russia must have no doubt about our determination. We will not back down until a just and lasting peace is achieved.”
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Burnham will also co-chair with France a new videoconference meeting of the so-called “coalition of volunteers,” the bloc formed by countries that support Kyiv and are willing to contribute to measures ensuring future peace in the region.
The United Kingdom was already one of the first European countries to provide Kyiv with long-range defensive weaponry in 2023, and since then friction with Moscow has increased. The newspaper The Sunday Times exclusively reported last weekend that the Kremlin had decided to withdraw its ambassador from the British capital in July. Since then, the chargé d’affaires of the delegation has maintained communication with the British government.
Last Tuesday, Moscow threatened the United Kingdom with possible “consequences” after the British press published information about the use of British-made drones by the Ukrainian army to attack military and industrial targets on Russian territory.
One of Burnham’s first decisions upon taking power and replacing Keir Starmer in July was to authorize the transfer to Kyiv of the intellectual property of the Stone Cloak, a tablet-sized jammer that the Ukrainian army already attaches to its drones to confuse Russian detection signals. By giving them the ability to produce them themselves, London also ensured it would obtain on-the-ground information about the device’s capabilities to expedite its development.
Unaware of the events in Kyiv and the European gestures, the war continues on the front. The Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet and two more Russian vessels in the Black Sea last night, according to authorities of the country invaded by Moscow for nearly five years. One of the attacked vessels was an oil tanker; the other, a bulk carrier.
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