Zelensky, UK’s Burnham to Discuss Anti-Ballistic Coalition Cooperation at Upcoming Meeting

President Volodymyr Zelensky was among the first foreign leaders to speak with the United Kingdom’s newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham, with both agreeing during the call to hold an in-person meeting soon to discuss cooperation within the Anti-Ballistic Coalition.

Zelensky detailed the exchange in a statement on Monday, thanking Burnham for London’s continued backing of Ukraine amid ongoing Russian strikes. 

“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 ensure that it only grows further,” Zelensky said.

UK’s global role praised

In a separate congratulatory message ahead of the call, Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to work in “all possible formats” with the UK, calling it a global leader and expressing gratitude for its continuous support throughout the war. 

“We highly appreciate the UK’s political, defense, and values-based support,” Zelensky said, adding that “the foundation of our bilateral relationship is stronger than ever, and we will continue to make each other stronger.”

Although Burnham has publicly backed Kyiv since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, questions had lingered over whether – and if so, how – the UK’s support would continue now that he has formally become prime minister.

According to TVP World, as mayor of Great Manchester in the northwest, Burnham supported Ukrainian refugees and developed cooperation with Ukrainian cities in humanitarian projects. In 2023, he helped establish the Unbroken Cities Network, which brought Manchester, Liverpool and Lviv together to support communities affected by the war. However, a former co-chair of the UK–Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, Volodymyr Kurennoy, said that Burnham was “pro-Ukrainian, but not very experienced in foreign policy,” adding that he could possibly prioritize domestic issues. 

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“I’ll be making very clear later today to President Zelensky that, you know, there is no change. I will be with him 100%, as Keir Starmer has been,” Burnham told Sky News ahead of the call. “I take all of that experience into my new role, and President Zelensky will be left in no doubt whatsoever that Britain’s support is steadfast, it is resolute, it will be there for him and I will be there for him personally too,” he continued.

Reportedly, Burnham has also pledged deeper commitment to NATO, calling for “an even closer relationship with countries across Europe.”

Why anti-ballistic Missile Coalition matters more than ever

Most recently, Zelensky launched the FREYJA Anti-Ballistic Missile Program on July 13 with European allies, setting a 12-month goal to develop an affordable system capable of protecting Ukraine and other partner countries. 

The initiative, described by Zelensky as an urgent response to Russia’s increasing reliance on ballistic missiles, was announced alongside the inaugural meeting of the Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition, bringing Ukraine together with Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It aims to transform Ukraine from being a recipient of Western air-defense equipment into a co-developer of Europe’s new anti-ballistic capability as allies fear Russia might strike NATO in the upcoming years.

By bringing together governments, political leaders and defense manufacturers, FREYJA’s main intention is to address Ukraine’s critical shortage of Patriot interceptors, the only weapon that can successfully intercept Russia’s ballistic missiles.

The push for a shared missile shield reflects a demand Ukraine has voiced since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which Western capitals avoided endorsing, wary of getting involved in the conflict. Since then, European governments have increasingly come to recognize that they might face the same military threat as Ukraine, prompting them to shift from isolated national defenses toward an integrated system. The same shift also reflects a change in Ukraine’s military role among its partners. Previously, wartime cooperation centered mainly on training Ukrainian troops, whereas now, NATO acknowledges Ukraine’s rapidly improving battlefield experience and its importance in shaping Europe’s broader defense strategy.

During the latest NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture its own Patriot defense systems. 

Most recently, on Monday, Lockheed Martin introduced the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector (ACE), a new Patriot interceptor built to counter air and missile threats for less than half of the current PAC-3 MSE variant.