Britain's new Prime Minister welcomes Zelenskiy as first foreign visitor

LONDON — Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as his first international visitor on Monday, highlighting London's continued support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia, Burnham's office said.

The two leaders met at a naval base, where they were scheduled to hear about UK-led training programs aimed at strengthening Ukraine's armed forces and improving battlefield readiness, according to Downing Street.

"Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering," Burnham said in a statement. "Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve a long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine."

During the visit, Burnham and Zelenskiy met with more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who had spent the previous three weeks in Britain participating in Exercise Sea Breeze, a maritime security and counter-mine training program designed to prepare participants for future missions in the Black Sea.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK's total support for Kyiv has reached £25 billion ($33.3 billion), including £16 billion in military assistance and £5.6 billion in non-military aid, Burnham's office said.

Speaking alongside Zelenskiy on Monday, Burnham said Britain would provide new domestically developed jamming technology to help protect Ukrainian drones during the war.

Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, visited Kyiv days before stepping down earlier this month, where he pledged €300 million ($345 million) to help equip Ukraine with a squadron of 16 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets.

($1 = 0.7508 pounds)

-Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Ros Russell/Reuters