UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his first meeting with a foreign leader since assuming the premiership last week.

The two leaders will visit a British naval base and talk to military personnel who train Ukrainian service members for combat, according to Downing Street.

“Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering. 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,” Burnham said in a statement.

The meeting comes as the UK announced it will share intellectual property for a new electronic jamming capability mounted on drones, which can prevent Russian air defense systems from tracking and targeting the weapons. The British innovation, known as “Stone Cloak,” is part of a 100-year partnership pact that the UK and Ukraine signed in January 2025.

Since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the UK has been one of Kyiv’s strongest allies, providing $33 billion in aid, including $21 billion in direct military assistance. British support has been most substantial in the intelligence and military spheres: London has shared intelligence with Kyiv, trained more than 63,000 Ukrainian troops under Operation Interflex, and supplied advanced weapons such as Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

Monday’s visit underscores Burnham’s intent to signal continuity in Britain’s Ukraine policy despite the change in leadership, reassuring Kyiv and NATO allies that London will remain one of Ukraine’s leading military and diplomatic backers. By making Zelensky his first foreign guest, Burnham reinforces the UK’s role in European security as Kyiv works to lock in Western support more than four years into the war. The gesture carries added weight as doubts deepen over the durability of U.S. backing: London appears to be positioning itself, alongside Europe’s other leading capitals, to shoulder more of the burden should Washington step back.