Zelensky arrives in UK for 1st meeting with new Prime Minister Burnham
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Editor's note: This story is being updated with additional details.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the United Kingdom on July 27 for talks with newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The meeting will be the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders and comes just days after Burnham took office following the resignation of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Zelensky and Burnham will meet at a Naval base to discuss how U.K.-led training programs are helping strengthen Ukraine's army and achieve battlefield results, Downing Street said.
"The key priorities are air defense, maritime security, and joint defense production — our cooperation that strengthens both countries," Zelensky said.
The visit comes as Kyiv seeks to maintain close ties with one of its strongest international backers amid Russia's ongoing full-scale war. Burnham has pledged that Britain's support for Ukraine "will not waver" and has consistently expressed pro-Ukrainian views.
He became leader of the governing Labour Party last week after Starmer announced his resignation on June 22 amid growing pressure from within the party.
Burnham is the fifth British prime minister to serve since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Labour Party had been losing public support in recent years and suffered a major setback in the 2025 local elections, when Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform Party finished first.
The United Kingdom remains one of Ukraine's closest allies, providing military, financial, and diplomatic support throughout the war.
Burnham entered the British Parliament in 2001 and has held several senior government positions, including health secretary, culture secretary, and chief secretary to the Treasury, before becoming mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017.
