Burnham to lobby Trump over Ukraine defence plans as he pencils in US trip for September

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Mr Burnham told the press that he is planning on joining other European leaders in this task, and that he is “looking forward to going to New York” next month, which is when the UN General Assembly will meet.

Details of the trip are not yet “fully confirmed” but it is “likely” to go ahead, according to Burnham. The trip would mark Mr Burnham’s first US visit since becoming Prime Minister in July.

The comments come amid Mr Burnham’s first trip to Kyiv as Prime Minister, where the UK reiterated its “unwavering” support for Ukraine.

Read more: Chief of the Defence Staff says Burnham’s first foreign trip to Kyiv was a “really special” show of British support for Ukraine

Read more: Andy Burnham arrives in Kyiv as Ukraine marks Independence Day - with PM poised to handover long-range missile blueprints

Whilst chairing his first coalition of the willing meeting in Ukraine, Burnham spoke in support of the Lindsay O. Graham Sanctions Act, an act co-sponsored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham which would place enhanced sanctions on Russia and countries that buy Russian petroleum.

The act passed the senate with bipartisan support in early August. Prior to his passing, Graham received White House support for his bill.

He also urged Ukraine’s allies to send more interceptor missiles to Kyiv as Ukraine struggles under continued Russian bombardment and co-chaired his first coalition of the willing meeting, where he said the group was doing “everything we can” to “dig into our own stocks and help others dig into their stocks”.

Mr Zelenskyy has repeatedly pleaded for more US-made Patriot interceptor missiles in recent months as Kyiv’s stocks have diminished.

Supplies of Patriots have been diverted to the Middle East since the outbreak of war with Iran, with Ukraine receiving significantly fewer missiles this year than in previous years.

Mr Burnham told the press he felt “really confident” the issue was “fixable”, but added: “There are other players who could help in the mix who we have influence with.

“It’s probably going to be a solution that involves a lot of layers and a lot of negotiation.”

The UK will be providing Ukraine with blueprints of Scalp missiles in order to aid Ukraine in manufacturing their own at home.

Ukraine in turn handed over what officials have called a “goldmine” of battlefield data to help bolster British security.

During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Burnham reiterated there would be “no change in the UK’s steadfast support” for Kyiv.

Russia has sought to capitalise on the current shortage of Patriot missiles by stepping up its ballistic missile strikes, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 in the past three days alone.

During his bilateral talks with Mr Zelenskyy, Downing Street said Mr Burnham stressed the “strength of unity” among coalition of the willing countries.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “It had been an honest and productive conversation during the coalition of the willing, the leaders agreed, and it was clear the international community needed to step up and ensure Ukraine got the support it needed to defend itself from Russia’s barbaric attacks going into the winter."

Mr Burnham and Mr Zelenskyy have also signed an agreement to give the Ministry of Defence, working with selected British companies, access to Ukraine’s “Avengers” AI database, Downing Street said.

The deal is expected to help the UK learn from Ukraine’s experience on the battlefield and develop AI-powered solutions to national security challenges in both countries.

This comes after Russia accused the UK of fueling the conflict. To which Burnham responded "who started the fire?"

Mr Burnham told LBC: “It's not a path of confrontation. It's doing what Britain has done since the start of this conflict, which is to provide support for Ukraine to defend itself.”

During his visit Mr Burnham played Rusholme Ruffians by The Smiths after being handed a guitar by a Ukrainian soldier, a moment he later shared on social media.

The Prime Minister, who explained it was a Manchester band and strummed a few chords but declined to sing, said music can help “lift spirits” on the front line. Soldiers sang him an Oasis song.

He later went to a shopping centre that was destroyed in a Russian attack, where he mingled and took selfies with residents.