Britain to let Ukraine access its classified tech for long-range missile production
Andy Burnham will make the announcement on his first foreign trip since becoming Prime Minister
Britain will give Ukraine access to our technology so they can start producing their own long-range missiles, Andy Burnham will announce today.
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On his first foreign trip since becoming Prime Minister, he will confirm that defence firm MDBA will release classified information on UK components of long-range missile system SCALP.
As the PM prepares to meet President Zelensky for the second time today, he will vow that “the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes”.
The PM will meet with counterparts in Kyiv to mark the 35th Ukrainian Independence Day.
He will chair his first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing alongside other world leaders from Finland, Lithuania and the European Union, and take part in Independence Day events.
It’s expected that the announcement will mean that Ukraine can start establishing local assembly lines to be able to build the long-range missile.
Read more: Ukraine's ousted defence minister calls for wartime elections in bombshell speech
The missile is the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow, with both using shared French and British technology.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said today: "On Ukraine's 35th anniversary of independence, the Ukrainian people should be in no doubt: the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes.
"I am proud of the contribution our country has made to Ukraine and I want the Ukrainian people to hear it directly from me that our support will not waver. After all, Ukraine's security is our security.
“The friendship between our two countries will long outlast Russia's illegal war. In both the fight and in the rebuilding to come, we will stand with Ukraine and deliver opportunities for people across both our countries.
"Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace."
While in Kyiv, the Prime Minister is expected to be presented with an award on behalf of the British people, in recognition of the United Kingdom's ongoing support.
Storm Shadow Missiles - using navigation technology from the US - have attracted criticism from President Zelensky for being slow to sign off.
The US has been reluctant to sign off their use targeting sites inside of Russia.
Meanwhile, France has given the blueprints for for the SCALP system as part of a defence deal signed last month in Paris.
Reports suggest that Ukraine may be able to produce similar missiles by the end of the year.
It marks a new phase of Western support for Ukraine - where Britain and other allies are helping provide Ukraine with additional technology and patents so they can produce more of their own weapons.
Last month the UK government marked Zelensky’s visit to the UK by announcing the sharing of intellectual property used in electronic jamming systems - for a new British capability dubbed Stone Cloak.
Britain allowed Ukraine the use of the technology behind the jammers, which help to hinder Russian air defence systems from tracking and targeting the drones.
The Stone Cloak tech will be built into the next generation of UK deep-strike capabilities, the British government said last month.
It means Ukraine can develop the weapons themselves, strengthening their front line defences.
Already thousands of the electronic jammers had been gifted by the Ministry of Defence.
It comes after a difficult few weeks for Ukraine where Russia has ramped up missile strikes, which have killed dozens of civilians.
And a Russian drone strike on a shopping centre last week killed 16 and injured 130.
Moscow has ramped up its attacks on the UK - and has not replaced the Russian ambassador who has now left his London post.
Last week the Kremlin warned of “consequences” after confirmation that British-made drones were used in recent Ukrainian strikes within Russia.
The Russian embassy in the UK had accused Britain of "deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis", saying "the deeper its involvement in the conflict... the higher the price it will pay".
Responding, Mr Burnham insisted that Britain was "providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself and that's been the British position all the way through this conflict, by previous prime ministers - it remains the case with me".