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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday for high-level talks with newly appointed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, where London announced it is granting Kyiv access to its cutting-edge "Stone Cloak" electronic jamming technology.
According to Deutsche Welle (DW), the strategic technology deal comes as Ukraine shifts toward a more proactive posture, increasing long-range strikes against military, energy, and logistics targets deep inside Russian territory. When attached to drones, the tablet-sized, battle-tested Stone Cloak jammers can shield weapons from Russian air defence detection, significantly boosting Kyiv's long-range precision capabilities. "Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries," Burnham said during the visit, according to DW. Downing Street confirmed that thousands of the devices have already been delivered to Ukrainian forces. The meeting marks Burnham's first bilateral summit with a foreign leader since taking office at Downing Street lpoast week. Speaking at Portsmouth Naval Base, where the two leaders met around 200 Ukrainian service members training alongside British troops, Burnham emphasised the strength of London's commitment, DW reported. "Volodymyr, you are the first leader I have welcomed in person since taking office and that is no accident," Burnham said, according to DW. "It is intended to send a very clear message: We are with Ukraine 100%, I am personally with you 100%, and I will honor every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full." Burnham, who is the fifth British prime minister Zelenskyy has dealt with since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, reassured the Ukrainian president of the UK's "unwavering support," according to a Downing Street statement cited by DW. "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," the statement read. Downing Street noted that the UK has provided approximately 25 billion (EUR29 billion / $33 billion) in total assistance to Ukraine since 2022, including 16 billion in direct military support. Prior to the meetings, Zelenskyy told UK broadcaster Sky News that he hoped to negotiate a major "drone deal" with Burnham to scale up manufacturing capacity and tech sharing, stressing that Ukraine urgently requires enhanced air defences to counter Russia's expanding ballistic missile production, DW reported. Reflecting on the visit, Zelenskyy noted on X that over the course of the full-scale war, Kyiv and London have built "the strongest relationship in the entire history of cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom." He outlined air defence, maritime security, and joint defence production as key shared priorities. "Arrived in the United Kingdom. My schedule includes meetings with Prime Minister Andy Burnham @andyburnham, as well as with our warriors who are currently in the UK, including those who took part in the Sea Breeze exercises. Over the years of the full-scale war, we have built the strongest relationship in the entire history of cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The key priorities are air defense, maritime security, and joint defense production - our cooperation that strengthens both countries. We value that we can always count on Britain's principled decisions, leadership, and support," he wrote. During their tour of Portsmouth Naval Base, Zelenskyy and Burnham boarded the mine countermeasures vessel Cherkasy, which Britain transferred to Ukraine in January 2023, DW reported. In a post on X, Zelenskyy detailed that five Ukrainian mine countermeasures ships--Melitopol, Mariupol, Henichesk, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv--are currently based at Portsmouth and will remain stationed there until the end of the war to prepare for future maritime demining operations in Ukrainian waters. In another post, the Ukrainian President wrote, "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Andy Burnham @andyburnham and I met with Ukrainian and British sailors in Portsmouth. They had just completed the multinational Sea Breeze exercises together. It is very important that our units have demonstrated a high level of preparedness in maritime demining. Our country is drawing ever closer to the NATO countries, and there is no doubt that our Navy - and the Armed Forces as a whole - are contributing to our shared security in Europe through their knowledge and skills. I thank our warriors for their service and professionalism. I am grateful to the United Kingdom and to all our partners for their support." Highlighting their discussions, Zelenskyy stated that the duo discussed the development of joint defence production and expressed gratitude towards the UK PM for the defence aid, while extending him an invitation to visit Ukraine. https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/2081762412437344607 Following his UK visit, Zelenskyy will travel to Washington, DC for a Tuesday meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, DW reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also scheduled to arrive in Washington the same day. While in the US capital, Zelenskyy is also expected to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent supporter of US aid to Ukraine who passed away unexpectedly earlier this month after his visit to Kyiv. (ANI)
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