英国首相伯纳姆在乌克兰总统泽连斯基访英前夕表示，英国对乌克兰的支持坚定不移。[1][2]泽连斯基将于周一访问英国，这是伯纳姆上任一周以来接待的首位国际访客。[1][2]伯纳姆表示："英国与乌克兰并肩同行，我们的支持坚定不摇。"[1]他还指出："俄罗斯应该清楚我们的决心，在为乌克兰实现持久公正的和平之前，我们不会退缩。"[2]
两国领导人将访问英国海军基地，会见参加英国海上军事演习的200多名乌克兰军事人员。[1][2]演习为期三周。[2]在军事技术合作方面，英国将向乌克兰转让"石披风"电子战系统的知识产权，使其能够规模化生产这一技术。[1][2]该电子干扰设备体型如平板电脑，用于防止无人机被探测。[1]英国已向乌克兰军队提供数千套该类电子干扰装置。[1]此外，英国已承诺为乌克兰提供25亿英镑的资金支持。[1]
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed to continued backing for Ukraine ahead of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's arrival on Monday, marking the first visit by a foreign leader since Burnham took office a week ago.[1][2] "Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering," Burnham stated, adding that "Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long lasting and just peace for Ukraine."[1][2]
The two leaders will meet at a British naval base, where they will encounter over 200 Ukrainian military personnel participating in a three-week exercise.[1][2] A centrepiece of the visit will be Britain's transfer of intellectual property rights for the "Stone Cloak" electronic warfare system to Ukraine, enabling the country to scale production of the technology.[1][2] The device, roughly the size of a tablet, functions to prevent drones from being detected, and Britain has already supplied thousands of such jamming units to Ukrainian forces.[1]
The visit underscores Burnham's position as the fifth British Prime Minister to engage with Zelenskyy since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.[2] Britain has previously committed £25 billion in financial support to Ukraine.[1]