UK PM visits Kyiv, vows continued support; Russia warns of missile plant strikes
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Kyiv to reaffirm military support for Ukraine, calling the country Europe's frontline for security.
- Burnham announced Britain would allow defense firm MBDA to share information on UK components for SCALP missiles, enabling Ukraine to produce them domestically.
- Russia criticized the move, accusing Britain of fueling the conflict and threatening to destroy Ukrainian missile production sites.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day, declaring the nation stands on the frontline of European security. He pledged continued military support despite Russian threats, drawing a parallel between Ukraine's current struggle and Britain's fight against Nazi Germany in World War II.
Ukraine is not a burden on European security, but stands on the frontline keeping Europe safe.
During his visit, Burnham announced that Britain would permit defense contractor MBDA to release classified information regarding UK components used in the SCALP long-range missile. This move aims to support Ukraine's plan to establish domestic production lines for the missile, a joint Franco-British project. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously indicated similar support for Ukraine's defense manufacturing.
Our people were the ones who kept the flame of freedom in Europe alive in the 20th century, and you are the ones holding that flame in the 21st century.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Burnham a medal for Britain's support and reiterated Ukraine's resolve not to yield to Russian aggression. Burnham was also set to co-chair a virtual meeting of the "United for Peace" coalition with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss further air defense support for Ukraine against Russian missile attacks.
Despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine’s defence.
Russia reacted strongly to the announcement. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Britain of actively participating in the war and consistently "throwing oil on the fire" to hinder peace efforts. He warned that Russia's armed forces were gathering intelligence to identify and destroy Ukrainian missile production facilities.
The Ukrainians will not become cobblestones under the feet of tsars and rulers.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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