Britain's new prime minister is opening with a call to Kyiv. Andy Burnham became UK prime minister on 20 July after King Charles III accepted Keir Starmer's resignation and tasked the new Labour leader with forming a government.
Burnham announced that his first foreign calls, on 20 July, would go to US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.
Burnham planned to assure Zelenskyy that nothing has changed, and that Britain, one of Ukraine's key Western allies, and its new prime minister personally, remain on Ukraine's side.
Zelenskyy has already spoken with him
"I was glad to talk with Andy Burnham and congratulate him on becoming Prime Minister of the UK. I greatly appreciate that support for Ukraine, and our people will continue to be strong," Zelenskyy wrote.
Also, he thanked Burnham for the words of respect toward Ukrainians and condolences for those killed in recent Russian attacks.
Burnham is Britain's seventh leader in just over a decade. He was, until recently, the mayor of Greater Manchester, and returned to Parliament in a special election weeks ago before winning the Labour leadership on 17 July.
Burnham's Ukraine record predates his premiership
Unlike in domestic policy, no substantial change in foreign policy is expected. Burnham has a documented pro-Ukraine record stretching back over a decade.
He has recalled that he opposed "Russia's invasion of Crimea" in 2014. Four years later, he called on FIFA to strip Russia of the right to host the football World Cup. After the full-scale invasion, he continued supporting Ukraine: corresponding with the heads of Ukrainian cities, helping with the rehabilitation of victims and the resettlement of refugees, and calling for the harshest possible sanctions against Russia. He has stressed that the security of the UK is directly tied to the security of Ukraine. The same said outgoing Starmer in his farewell remarks.
Partnership runs through Anti-Ballistic Coalition
Zelenskyy framed the relationship as the strongest in the two countries' history and pointed to a specific near-term agenda.
The Ukrainian leader said that Ukraine and Britain have managed to build the strongest partnership "in the history of relations between our states, and we will certainly continue working to expand it."
"We agreed to discuss our further cooperation, including work within the framework of the Anti-Ballistic Coalition, at a meeting in the near future. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Britain," he summarized.
Britain has been among Ukraine's most consistent military backers since 2022, providing Storm Shadow cruise missiles, training tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, and helping lead the Coalition of the Willing.
