LONDON: UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday he will seek to “repair bridges” between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky amid strained ties between the pair.
Burnham made the comments before he was due to welcome Zelensky to his official Downing Street residence, in a show of support for Ukraine’s president following new criticism by Trump.
In recent days, Trump has announced a diesel-supply deal with heavily sanctioned Russia, and blindsided both sides in the almost five-year conflict by announcing an “energy ceasefire.”
He has also angrily hit out at Zelensky over Ukrainian long-range attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, suggesting he should be replaced as president.
“What I have to do in my role is try and repair bridges so that the support comes back,” Burnham told the British parliament.
“Therefore I should, at this moment in time, be careful in terms of laying the ground to bring people back together. That is the role I intend to play,” he added.
Zelensky’s visit to London comes as Ukraine accuses the US of helping Russia, saying Washington failed to warn it of incoming missile strikes and has slowed the Starlink satellite Internet system it relies on for its battlefield communications and frontline logistics.
Trump insisted on Tuesday that Washington was still helping Ukraine, while a US official told AFP on Wednesday its policy had “not changed.” The EU also said there were “no indications” intelligence sharing had stopped.
“I will listen to President Zelensky carefully, but he won’t be going away from Britain today empty-handed,” Burnham told MPs.
The prime minister is due to tell Zelensky that Britain will quicken the delivery of British lightweight multirole missiles, which Ukraine has used against Russian jet-powered drones.
He is also expected to pledge yet more sanctions aimed at Russia.