UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he and other European leaders are considering traveling to the United States next month to lobby President Donald Trump to allow Ukraine to access additional Patriot air defense interceptors ahead of the winter.
Speaking to Bloomberg in Kyiv, Burnham said he expected to attend the UN General Assembly in New York in September, although the details of his trip had not yet been finalized.
“I’m looking forward to going to New York in September,” Burnham said, referring to the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting. “I’ve not fully confirmed the details yet but it’s likely I will go, particularly after today’s discussion,” he added. “Leaving today, I’m quite clear what I need to do in the next few weeks.”
Burnham made the remarks during his first international visit since becoming prime minister. In Kyiv, he chaired a meeting of Ukraine’s allies for the first time and held bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged European countries and the United States to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot interceptors and replenish its stocks ahead of winter, when Russia is expected to intensify attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Patriot systems are among the most capable weapons available for intercepting Russian cruise and ballistic missiles.
Burnham said he left Kyiv “really optimistic” that Ukraine’s difficulties in defending against Russian ballistic missile attacks, caused in part by dwindling interceptor stocks, could be addressed.
He said European leaders were considering convening another meeting of the Coalition of the Willing around the UN General Assembly in September, potentially with the aim of securing additional US-made interceptors and supplies from other countries.
“That would seem to be the most likely pace of direction,” Burnham said. “Not confirmed yet, but that seemed like where most people’s minds were going.”
The British prime minister acknowledged that the UK does not operate the Patriot systems sought by Ukraine, but said other European countries could contribute.
“There are other players who could help in the mix who we have influence with,” Burnham said. “It’s probably going to be a solution that involves a lot of layers and a lot of negotiation.”
US President Donald Trump has previously backed away from an earlier commitment to provide Patriot interceptors to Ukraine or allow Kyiv to produce them.
The war in Iran has also significantly depleted global stocks of Patriot missiles, contributing to supply delays and making some US allies more reluctant to transfer their own stocks to Ukraine.
Trump said in July that he had not agreed to Ukraine’s request to produce Patriot missiles.
“We’re talking about it, but it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology,” Trump told reporters at the time.
Burnham, meanwhile, has moved to expand Ukraine’s access to sensitive British defense technology. The UK government is expected to allow Kyiv access to classified information concerning British components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile, enabling Ukraine to assemble the weapon domestically.
Zelenskyy welcomed the British government’s approach following his talks with Burnham.
“We value the fact that the UK’s course remains unchanged – full support for Ukraine and our defense,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
By Vafa Guliyeva
