In an overnight statement, Burnham said
It is 9:00 BST. Good morning. Andy Burnham will take the PMQs this afternoon, but he will consider the most important engagement as the meeting he has with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, later at No. 10. Peter Walker has a preview. When Keir Starmer spoke about his best achievements, he said that one of the things he was most proud of was that he was able to embrace Zelenskyy out of No. 10 just 24 hours after President Trump humiliated him in the Oval Office as an unequivocal show of UK support for Ukraine. Circumstances aren't exactly the same today, but Trump has demanded that Zelenskyy be replaced this weekend, and Burnham signals he doesn't agree.
In an overnight statement, Burnham said: Our strong support for Ukraine is vital to keep us safe here in the UK and to ensure that those on the front line have the equipment they need to push back Russia. My message to the Ukrainian people could not be clearer, we are with you as long as it is needed and we will go further and faster in our support to support the courageous struggle for peace in Europe. It's not only the right thing to do, but it's also necessary. Russian aggression cannot be allowed to succeed on our continent. Burnham also announces that the United Kingdom will accelerate deliveries of British Light Multi-role Missiles (LMM), which have proven to be extremely effective against jet-powered drones that are used to strike far beyond the front lines in Ukraine, including Kyiv and beyond.
Number 10 says: [Russian] drones are faster and can fly much higher than Shaheds with propellers
Number 10 says: [Russian] drones are faster and can fly much higher than Shaheds with propellers, which makes them harder to detect and destroy before hitting targets. The UK has already committed £1.6 billion to deliver over 5,000 LMMs to Ukraine over the next four years and will accelerate the £10 million of the £45 million missile package announced today to meet Ukraine's most urgent winter requirements. Here's the agenda for the day. 10.30: Dominic Cummings, former senior adviser to Boris Johnson, testifies to the Lords' Constitutional Committee on constitutional guarantees. Andy Burnham is playing Kemi Badenoch at PMQ. After 12:30 pm: MPs debate a Conservative opposition motion that says the government should not place asylum seekers in a military camp near Piddington, and that they should withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights to deport illegal migrants. Afternoon: Burnham hosts Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, in Downing Street.
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