LIVE: Andy Burnham blasts Russia's 'outrageous threats' as he meets with Zelenskyy
Follow live as Andy Burnham visits Kyiv to hand over long-range Storm Shadow missile blueprints
Andy Burnham has arrived in Kyiv as the UK prepares to hand over the blueprints to long-range Storm Shadow missiles on Ukraine's 35th Independence Day.
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It comes as the Kremlin issued a threat to Burnham over the sharing of missile blueprints with Ukraine, as Putin insisted Britain is now "taking part in the war on Ukraine's side".
The Prime Minister's schedule began with a wreath-laying ceremony for fallen soldiers.
Burnham then met with Zelenskyy as he chaired his first meeting of the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' - alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The group said strengthening Ukraine’s air defences was an “urgent priority”, condemning Russia’s “systematic and escalating strikes” on cities, infrastructure and civilians.
The pair also signed a new AI defence partnership giving Britain access to a vast Ukrainian battlefield data database.
The agreement, signed during Burnham’s first overseas visit as Prime Minister, forms part of the UK and Ukraine’s 100 Year Partnership.
Burnham urged allies to “dig into our own stocks of air defence” to protect Ukraine from Russian missile attacks, accusing Vladimir Putin of pursuing “a campaign of terror” against civilians.
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That’s all from us on today's live coverage
We're ending our live coverage of Andy Burnham's visit to Kyiv.
You can read more on the PM's visit here.
Zelenskyy honours UK with 'Gratitude of the Ukrainian People' award
President Zelenskyy has thanked the UK and European allies for their continued support as Ukraine marked 35 years of independence.
In Kyiv, Mr Zelenskyy presented state awards to visiting European leaders and awarded the UK a new honour, the 'Gratitude of the Ukrainian People'.
Mr Zelenskyy said the gesture recognised “true partners” who had supported Ukraine from the beginning.
Burnham join Ukrainian troops for Oasis singalong
Andy Burnham played a Smiths song after being handed a guitar by a Ukrainian soldier on his visit to Kyiv.
The Prime Minister 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.
EXCLUSIVE: Kyiv resident jokes PM visit brings a night of quiet
A Ukrainian woman has told LBC she felt safer after spotting the Prime Minister on Kyiv’s metro.
Natalia Bezrodeko said there was a joke in the Ukrainian capital that residents could “sleep quietly” if a UK Prime Minister was in town - because Russian bombing would stop.
She recognised Andy Burnham on the metro and asked for a selfie, which he agreed to take.
Natalia, who lives near a recently struck munitions plant in the Lukyanivka area, said her building had also been damaged and that she now spends nights in a shelter amid increasingly frequent attacks.
“We don’t sleep,” she told LBC. “We stay over there through the night, and then we get up and run here to the metro very, very fast.”
EXCLUSIVE: Burnham hits back at Moscow’s claims Britain fuelling fire of Ukraine war
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain’s support for Ukraine is about helping the country defend itself - not "a path of confrontation".
Mr Burnham previously hit back at accusations from Moscow of fuelling the fire of the war with Ukraine by responding: “Who started the fire?”
He 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.”
The Prime Minister added that Britain was “not a fair-weather friend”, and said continued backing for Kyiv was vital for European security.
EXCLUSIVE: Britain and US 'need to go further together' in support of Ukraine
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged the United States and other allies to do more to support Ukraine, warning Kyiv faces "urgent problems" as the war continues.
Speaking to LBC, Mr Burnham said there is an immediate need for further air defence and anti-ballistic missile support, when asked whether he had pressed President Donald Trump to provide more support.
He said: “We need to go further together, I think, because there are some urgent problems that Ukraine is facing.”
The "coalition of the willing” says it aims to strengthen Kyiv’s air defences “as a matter of urgent priority”
The "coalition of the willing” meeting in Kyiv.In a joint statement, the chairs of the coalition condemned Russia’s “systematic and escalating strikes against Ukraine’s cities, critical infrastructure and civilians.”
They pledged to continue efforts to constrain Russia’s war chest through sanctions and action against the “shadow fleet,” while agreeing on the need for immediate assistance for Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of winter.
The statement added that the leaders were "committed to ratchet up sanctions on Russia’s military industrial complex and those supporting it.”
In addition, Burnham has called on the US Congress to “ratchet up” economic pressure on Russia.
Burnham urges allies to send more interceptor missiles to Ukraine
Burnham (left) and Zelenskyy (right) at the first meeting at the “Coalition of the Willing”.The Prime Minister has called on Ukraine’s allies to send more interceptor missiles to Kyiv as Ukraine struggles under continued Russian bombardment.
Burnham chaired his first meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” on Monday afternoon alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The ex-Manchester mayor said the group was “working with our allies outside of this coalition” to resolve the issue, arguing Ukraine “needs more help to protect its people right now”.
Mr Burnham added: “I have only been in office a short time but already in that time Russia has threatened the UK for its support for Ukraine, and I know other countries here have faced similar threats.
“It just shows that what we are doing is having an impact, and we should stand firm together.”
Burnham calls on US Congress to "ratchet up" economic sanctions on Russia
Speaking at his first international meeting of the "coalition of the willing" in Ukraine, Mr Burnham said that the US needs to “ratchet up” economic pressure on Russia.
Mr Bunham said he supported a bill co-sponsored by the late Lindsey Graham, which would increase sanctions on Russia and on countries which buy Russian petroleum exports.
The bill, named the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, passed a Senate vote with bipartisan support in early August.
Andy Burnham calls on allies to provide more Patriot interceptor missiles to Kyiv
Mr Burnham chaired his first “coalition of the willing”, meeting in Kyiv and said that the nation “needs more help to protect its people right now."
This announcement comes after the UK pledged to give its blueprints of long-range Scalp missiles to aid Ukraine in its own production.
Burnham said the group of allies is “doing everything we can all do and working with our allies outside of this coalition to dig into our own stocks and help others dig into their stocks”.
Andy Burnham in Ukraine