Andy Burnham Vows To Keep Pressure On Russia Despite Moscow's "Outrageous Threats"

Andy Burnham has vowed to continue supporting Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia despite what he described as "outrageous threats" from Moscow during his first official visit to Ukraine as UK prime minister.

Burnham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and chaired his first meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing", an alliance established by the UK and France under his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.

The British prime minister said the coalition was "doing everything we can" to support Ukraine and called on the US Congress to increase economic pressure on Russia.

The UK government has also agreed to provide Ukraine with blueprints for British-made components used in the Scalp missile, the French version of Britain's Storm Shadow cruise missile. The technology could allow Ukraine to manufacture the long-range weapon domestically.

Burnham said allies were working to strengthen Ukraine's air defences by drawing on their own military stocks and encouraging other countries to provide additional systems.

"This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war," Burnham said, while praising the resilience of the Ukrainian people.

"Ukraine has been Europe's protector, not a drain on our security but the front line in keeping Europe safe," he added.

The move to share missile technology has drawn a strong response from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised Britain's decision and said it would prevent progress towards a peaceful settlement.

Peskov also said Russian forces were collecting information about potential missile production facilities that could be targeted.

"Britain is involved in this war on the side of the Kyiv regime. Britain methodically and regularly adds fuel to the fire," Peskov said.

Responding to the Kremlin's criticism, Burnham said: "Who started the fire? That's the question, isn't it?"

Burnham said missile interceptors and air-defence systems would be among the key issues discussed during the Coalition of the Willing meeting.

Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov separately warned that Britain could face a possible "semi-military" response over the sharing of military blueprints, although he said such action could come from unidentified sources rather than directly from Russia.

Fedorov suggested that companies and factories involved in producing drones for Ukraine could potentially face attacks and warned that the conflict could eventually extend beyond Ukraine's borders.

Burnham's visit comes as Britain continues to reaffirm its support for Kyiv following a series of Russian attacks across Ukraine, including a recent strike on a shopping centre that reportedly killed at least 16 people.

Following the meeting, Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said strengthening Ukraine's air defences would be an "urgent priority".

The leaders also condemned what they described as escalating Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities, civilians and critical infrastructure. They pledged to further restrict Russia's war finances through sanctions and measures targeting the so-called "shadow fleet".

The Coalition of the Willing includes 34 countries, including Ukraine. Leaders and representatives joined Monday's meeting either in Kyiv or through video conference and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine's independence.

Meanwhile, the European Union said it had released €6.1 billion (£5.2 billion) in military assistance for Ukraine to strengthen its air-defence capabilities. The funding forms part of a wider €90 billion loan package for Ukraine.

The UK and Ukraine have also announced a new military technology partnership that will give British experts access to Kyiv's Avengers AI Labs database.

Downing Street said Ukraine has used battlefield sensors and cameras to collect data that could help train artificial intelligence models to address key national-security challenges faced by both countries.