A military opportunity for Burnham

The new PM should make the most of Donald Trump’s dithering over Ukraine

Published 03 August 2026

Russian attacks on Kyiv in the past week have been bloody and relentless, with at least 18 civilians killed. Only one ballistic missile out of 27 was downed on Saturday because US-made Patriot air defence systems in the Ukrainian capital have run out of interceptors.

What makes this predicament even more galling for Volodymyr Zelensky is that Donald Trump promised him at last month’s Nato summit in Istanbul that Ukraine would be licensed to produce its own Patriots.

Talks with Lockheed took place and a workshop was prepared: all Ukraine needed were the blueprints. On Friday, however, the US president appeared to backtrack, denying that any such agreement existed. Ominously, Mr Trump said: “People that you give that technology, they can some day turn on you.”

One reason for the volte face in Washington is that the war against Iran has consumed large numbers of Patriots. Indeed, reports suggest that US stocks may be as low as around 1,000 missiles. The Pentagon doubtless prefers to keep any new supplies for its own forces.

Not surprisingly, given such an unreliable partner, Mr Zelensky is eager to find an alternative to the Patriot – a technology that is over 40 years old.

In June, Sir Keir Starmer told him that Britain, along with France and Germany, would help Ukraine to do just that. “I hope that we will manage to develop a European anti-ballistic missile system together with the UK,” Mr Zelensky said. “We need it and the UK needs it.”

Mr Zelensky is correct. Putin’s Russia threatens not only his country but Nato too – including British waters and airspace. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham has committed his government to maintaining continuity of support for Ukraine.

Wes Streeting, the new Defence Secretary, and John Healey, the new Chancellor, have pledged to boost not only our Armed Forces but our defence industries too.

So will the Burnham government stand by its offer to develop a new air defence system in partnership with our European allies and Ukraine?

The stakes are high – in the event of a Russian attack, London would be no less vulnerable than Kyiv – but so are the potential rewards. Ukraine has a unique track record of creating new weapons from scratch, in months rather than years.

Undertaking this challenge would be a serious test for the new Prime Minister. Britain has the ability to rebuild our defences, but it is not yet clear whether we have the leadership.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/03/a-military-opportunity-for-burnham/

3 comments

“Ominously, Mr Trump said: “People that you give that technology, they can some day turn on you.”

The evil motherfucker is talking about himself. Under his filthy rule, Ukraine’s greatest ally became a Putler lackey.

Comment from :

John Dawkins
The Sea Ceptor system based on the Type 45 destroyers is one of the best air defence systems in the world. It could easily be extended to cover land based targets.

Richard Maddock
Support Ukraine in developing air defence capabilities. Fire Point, a Ukrainian defence company, is already doing just that.

Thomas Glover
It must now be apparent to even the most dim witted politicians (and there are a good few of them!) that the US cannot be trusted in any way to defend Western values or countries. In fact under Trump I’m not even convinced that the US can be trusted to defend the US!
So we ditch them and Europe (not the just the EU but Europe) togther with Australia and New Zealand make a new alliance with new weapons. I would like to include Canada but I’m not sure where they stand on the idea.

Ian Clarke
We need Ukraine as much as they need us. Let’s make it happen and become free of the orange one.

Finian Manson
In my opinion, with Ukraine’s track record of innovation and development, it could indeed produce something superior to the USA’s Patriot missile system if it is helped financially and technologically by Europe.
The time has long passed to decouple Europe, and indeed NATO, from reliance on the American military-industrial complex, with its associated kill switches and end-user agreements controlled by fickle and unreliable presidents who are always looking to their domestic audience.

A random User
Reply to Finian Manson
Absolutely. European defence companies can also gain a competitive edge over US companies (and future Chinese / Argentinian / Romulan or whatever adversaries) by working in Ukraine, where the develop, deploy, test, review cycle is a week rather than a year.

Thomas Glover
Reply to Finian Manson
I agree. But I do wish that Europe and the UK hadn’t ordered so many F-35’s. Perhaps those orders can and should be cancelled? Maybe that would get the orange buffoons attention. At least for an afternoon which seems to be about as far as his attention span stretches.