Start of a New Phase of Cooperation

The new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham, has decided to make a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky his first official contact with a foreign leader. The event is scheduled for Monday, July 27. The meeting of the leaders will take place not within the walls of parliament, but on the territory of a naval base, symbolizing the practical nature of the dialogue.

During the visit, Zelensky will be shown the work of British training programs aimed at strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As sources note, these programs are already yielding tangible results on the battlefield. Prime Minister Burnham emphasized that Britain continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and called on Moscow not to doubt London's determination to achieve a just peace.

Technological Breakthrough: Stone Cloak

A key item on the agenda will be the signing of an agreement on the mass production of Stone Cloak devices. These are specialized signal jammers installed on strike drones. Their task is to interfere with the operation of Russian air defense systems and complicate the detection of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

According to The Telegraph, the United Kingdom will transfer intellectual property rights for this technology to Ukraine. This will allow Kyiv to set up its own production. At the same time, the British side will continue to provide support, and both countries will use data from the battlefield to further improve the weaponry.

Sea Breeze Exercises and Scale of Aid

As part of the visit, the leaders will meet with more than 200 Ukrainian servicemen and sailors. They arrived in the UK three weeks ago to participate in the Sea Breeze exercises. The program included training on maritime security and anti-mine tactics, which is critical for future missions in the Black Sea.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the total support from the United Kingdom for Ukraine has reached £25 billion (approximately $33.3 billion). Of this amount, £16 billion was military aid, and £5.6 billion was non-military support.

Continuity of Course

Burnham's visit becomes a continuation of the policy of his predecessor, Keir Starmer. A few days before resigning this month, Starmer visited Kyiv, where he promised to allocate €300 million for armaments. In particular, this referred to the transfer of a squadron of 16 Swedish Gripen fighters.