Video here :
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8me5vyjg2o
By Alex Smith and Richard Wheeler
- Published 26 July 2026
Andy Burnham has said the UK is “with Ukraine 100%” as Volodymyr Zelensky became the prime minister’s first international visitor since entering No 10.
Burnham said the visit of the Ukrainian president was designed to “send a very clear message” about the UK’s continued support.
“To put it simply, Volodymyr, I want you to know that we’ve got your back, you can count on me and you can count on us. You can count on the UK for as long as it takes,” he said at a naval base in Portsmouth on Monday.
Zelensky, meanwhile, said Ukraine’s relationship with the UK was “stronger than ever”.
Addressing Zelensky, Burnham said: “I am personally with you 100%, Mr President, and I will honour every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full.”
Burnham added that he intended to visit Ukraine “soon” following the “very warm meeting” between the pair.
The PM also announced the sharing of the intellectual property behind the UK’s new “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system, enabling Ukraine to produce the technology at scale.
Burnham said: “It will help them to hit their targets and help save Ukrainian lives.”
The Stone Cloak jammers are the size of a tablet computer and are designed to block the detection of any drones they are fitted to.
The Ministry of Defence has already given thousands of the devices to Ukrainian forces to bolster their drone operations.
Downing Street said that following its deployment in Ukraine, the technology will be built into the UK’s next generation of long-range weapons.
It said this would include Project Brakestop, a government programme to develop low-cost cruise missiles – self-propelled guided weapons that fly like normal aircraft for much of their flight.
During Monday’s visit, the two leaders also met more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have spent the last three weeks taking part in a maritime exercise in the UK.
Exercise Sea Breeze is aimed at strengthening warfighting capabilities and counter-mine measures in the Black Sea.
Burnham also said the UK would support Ukraine to get a “full and unconditional ceasefire”.
“We will keep up the pressure, pushing for a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations which must have Ukraine at the table and include a strong voice for Europe too.”
Britain’s backing of Ukraine has been constant since Russia’s invasion four years ago, and the UK has committed £25bn in funding, external for the country’s warfighting efforts.
In one of his first calls after becoming prime minister last Monday, Burnham spoke to Zelensky and invited him to visit the UK “at the earliest opportunity”.
Zelensky wrote on X shortly afterwards: “I truly appreciate that the support for Ukraine and our people will remain steadfast.”
Burnham’s predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, visited Kyiv on his final full day as Labour leader.
During that trip, he announced fresh funding worth £255m (€300m) for Ukraine’s fight against Russia and was awarded Ukraine’s Order of Freedom.
Asked if he was concerned about changes of leadership in Britain, and in France next year, Zelensky said: “Of course I’m afraid of changes, of course we are afraid because we are in the war each day.
“But again the priority is the relation between nations, not just between just people. I’m sure that these relations will not change, or we have to do our best not to lose such very good relations.”
He added: “I hope we will never lose strong relations with the UK during or after the war.” Sir Keir replied: “You won’t.”
Well that was really nice. In that brief clip I was quite touched with Andy’s warmth and support for Zel.
Bravo!
But : you can’t really claim 100% support without boots on the ground and combat aircraft in the air. Go on Andy! Break the impasse! Do it!
Hey Scradge. I don’t know if you have access to DT, if so can you publish this article.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/27/democrat-opponents-sanctioning-russia-act-undermine-ukraine/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_youtube_sanctioning-russia-act-undermine-ukraine%2F
Opponents of Sanctioning Russia Act risk hampering Kyiv’s war effort against Putin, say Republicans
Some fear allowing Donald Trump to use tariffs to hobble Russia’s economy further would act as a ‘Trojan horse’
Democrats risk undermining American support for Ukraine by objecting to proposed sanctions on countries that buy oil from Russia, it has been claimed.
The Trump administration wants to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the five countries that import the largest volumes of oil from Russia. The countries are not named, but based on current figures, would include China, Turkey and India.
Doing so could limit a key source of revenue for the Kremlin during its ongoing conflict with Kyiv. However, senior Democrats, including potential 2028 presidential candidates, have argued that the measure would also act as a “Trojan horse”, giving Donald Trump a new way to impose tariffs.
They claim the president has already “shown himself to abuse tariff authority”, and allowing the sanctions scheme would hand the president a “blank cheque to continue his chaotic tariff agenda”.
Oil money has helped fill Vladimir Putin’s war chest, prompting Donald Trump to propose sanctions on buyers
The dispute threatens legislation proposed by Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina senator, who said before his death on July 11 that the sanctions would maintain economic pressure on Moscow.
The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 – which in its original form proposed 500 per cent tariffs on buyers of Russian oil – could be voted on in the Senate as early as next week, provided it has support from every senator.
While there is bipartisan support in principle, Democrats are opposed to any proposal that links sanctions and tariffs. They fear it could establish a precedent under which the White House would be able to impose levies in the future.
Cory Booker, a New Jersey senator and potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, is among those against the proposal.
Democrat Cory Booker, a potential presidential candidate, accused Mr Trump of being reckless and damaging the US economy
He said: “Trump has shown himself to abuse tariff authority in a really reckless way that’s causing harm to our economy. I know that we’ve been working to narrow that, so that’s what I’m going to be looking at.
“Especially with Ukraine’s increasing reach [in Russia], it’s really time to do everything we can to support them. But the details are really important to me.”
Senator Raphael Warnock, of Georgia, another potential 2028 Democratic candidate, said giving the president additional tariff powers would be “deeply concerning”.
Some Democrats in the House were opposed to the proposal as well, with Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House foreign affairs committee, saying it was a “Trojan horse for tariff authorities he [Trump] has repeatedly abused”.
Instead, Mr Meeks urged the Senate to pass the Ukraine Support Act, which passed the House on June 18. It gives Ukraine $1bn (£750m) in security and reconstruction aid and another $8bn (£6bn) for defence via loans.
Senator Katie Britt, a Republican from Alaska, criticised the Democrats, saying: “Do they hate Trump more than they actually want to help Ukraine? There’s been a number of people that have stepped up on the Democratic side to say, ‘This is the right thing to do. Now is the time to do it’. And I believe at the end of the day that others will follow their lead.”
Jerry Moran, the Republican senator for Kansas, described the arguments over sanctions as “sad”.
In February, the US supreme court struck down most of Mr Trump’s tariffs as unlawful. However, on Friday, the Trump administration imposed new 10 to 12.5 per cent tariffs on dozens of countries.
They were brought in on the basis that the countries were not doing enough to prevent forced labour, in a move designed to prevent a repeat of the supreme court ruling.
(From The Telegraph)
Burnham could have gone in allot of directions, glad of UK’s continued support.