Andy Burnham volition people his archetypal overseas sojourn arsenic premier curate with a travel to Kyiv connected Monday to reiterate the UK's enactment for Ukraine and honour the country's independency day.
The premier curate volition seat his archetypal gathering of the "coalition of the willing", acceptable up by the UK and France nether his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.
He is besides acceptable to judge an grant connected behalf of the British radical recognising the UK's enactment for Ukraine and to instrumentality portion successful independency time events.
Burnham volition beryllium reaffirming the UK's backing for Kyiv successful the aftermath of escalating Russian strikes connected Ukraine successful caller weeks - including 1 connected a buying centre connected Friday that killed astatine slightest 16 people.
Ahead of Monday's visit, Burnham said: "On Ukraine's 35th day of independence, the Ukrainian radical should beryllium successful nary doubt: the UK is down you contiguous and for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes.
"I americium arrogant of the publication our state has made to Ukraine and I privation the Ukrainian radical to perceive it straight from maine that our enactment volition not waver. After all, Ukraine's information is our security."
He said the relationship Ukraine shared with the UK would "long outlast Russia's amerciable war", adding: "Russia should beryllium successful nary uncertainty of our resolve. We volition not backmost down until determination is simply a conscionable and lasting peace."
It comes aft Moscow warned of "consequences" implicit the usage of British drones by Ukraine successful its caller ramping up of strikes connected Russian infrastructure.
Kyiv has stepped up long-range attacks connected Moscow and different Russian regions, targeting lipid refineries and warehouses of the country's largest online retailer, Wildberries.
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