UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain will support Ukraine “100%” against Russia and remain at its side “in its hour of need”, after Russia warned the UK of “consequences” for supplying drones to Kyiv.
Russia had accused Britain of deepening its involvement in the war following a report by the Times newspaper on Saturday that British-made drones had been used for long-range strikes against Russia for the first time.
“London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” the Russian embassy said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel earlier on Tuesday.
“The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kiev’s (Kyiv’s) terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.”
However Burnham said the assistance for Ukraine was the “UK doing what it has long said it would do, which is to support Ukraine 100% against this illegal war” led by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We are not fair-weather friends. We will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need, and that won’t change.” He said
In June, Britain said it would provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine by the end of 2026 as part of a £752 million ($996 million) funding package. Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2022, Russia has repeatedly warned Britain and other Western allies that their support for Kyiv, including the supply of equipment, could provoke retaliatory measures and increase the risk of a broader confrontation.
