New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged continued UK backing for Ukraine, hosting President Volodymyr Zelensky at a UK naval base in his first meeting with a foreign leader just a week after taking office. The centrepiece of the visit was confirmation that Britain will transfer intellectual property rights for its Stone Cloak electronic warfare system to Ukraine, enabling Kyiv to manufacture the anti-drone jamming technology domestically rather than relying on imports. Downing Street presented the visit as demonstrating the depth of the UK-Ukraine relationship under the new administration.

The technology handover goes beyond conventional financial and military aid, giving Ukrainian forces the ability to produce critical anti-drone defence equipment at scale on their own soil. Officials described the move as a significant deepening of Britain's support for Kyiv, with Burnham using the meeting to restate his government's ongoing commitment to Ukraine's defence.