The Kremlin has lashed out at Britain, accusing the UK of pouring fuel on the fire by supplying blueprints for components to make long-range Scalp missiles as Andy Burnham visits Kyiv
Andy Burnham has hit back at the Kremlin after it accused the UK of “participating in the war” alongside Ukraine.
Moscow reacted with fury after the Prime Minister agreed to share secret missile technology with Kyiv. A spokesman for warmonger Vladimir Putin said Britain “methodically and regularly pours fuel on the fire”.
But Mr Burnham shot back: “Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it?” In a speech in the Ukrainian capital he vowed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in spite of “outrageous” threats from Russia.
It comes after the government announced it will help Ukraine produce long-range Scalp missiles by sharing blueprints for its British components. Mr Burnham warned Russia that it should be in no doubt about Britain’s resolve – telling an audience in the Ukrainian capital that Britain is with the war-torn country all the way.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said: “Britain is participating in this war. It is participating in this war on the side of the Kyiv regime. Britain methodically and regularly pours fuel on the fire and methodically and regularly plots to prevent any progress in the peace process.
“Our armed forces are conducting the relevant work, obtaining the relevant information in order to identify the production sites of such missiles, the production sites of other military equipment, and are taking measures to destroy these sites.”
The weapons the UK are supplying information about are the French-produced versions of the UK’s Storm Shadow, which Ukraine has been using to hit targets in Russia, and Kyiv and Paris are looking to set up local assembly lines to produce them in the country.
In a speech in Kyiv Mr Burnham said: “I will honour every commitment my country has made to Ukraine in full. We will continue to build the 100-year partnership between our two countries, bringing together our cities and our schools, our businesses and our communities, learning from each other and growing together for decades to come.
“And despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine’s defence. I know you need more help to protect your skies and your civilians. I know how hard the winters have been and the need to be ready this year when the nights draw in.”
And he stated: “We are with you in this struggle all the way, heart and soul. And as Prime Minister, let me say that I am with you personally.”
Asked about the threat of Russian retaliation following the Kremlin response, a No10 spokeswoman said: “Our support of Ukraine has been long-standing since 2022 when they launched their initial attack. And that will remain the case.
“I think we’ve always been very clear about how we feel about Russia’s barbaric actions. We have consistently said that across the last four years, and nothing has changed in that regard.”
Mr Burnham said: “Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.”
On Ukrainian Independence Day, the PM told the Ukrainian people “the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes” and that Russia’s threats only strengthen the UK’s resolve. And he warned Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin that our nation “will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace”.
The Government has agreed that defence firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the long-range Scalp missile – the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow.
Both missiles use shared French and British technology. Ukraine and France are looking to set up local assembly lines for Scalp missiles in Ukraine.
The move follows the UK being the first to gift long-range strike weapons for defensive purposes to Ukraine in 2023 and will allow the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile. It also complements the major UK effort to rapidly develop low-cost advanced long-range strike weapons for Ukraine through Project Brakestop.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the UK has committed a range of military, economic, and diplomatic support, underpinned by the UK and Ukraine’s 100 Year Partnership. This includes £16billion in military assistance and £5.6bn in non-military support.
Moscow recently threatened “consequences” over the reported use of British drones by Ukraine in its recent ramping up of deep strikes into Russia’s mainland.
Last week, Russia accused the UK of deliberately escalating the conflict in relation to the UK-made drones and said the deeper the country’s involvement became, “the higher the price it will pay”.
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