Wes Streeting vows ‘we’re with Ukraine until they win’ on his first visit to Kyiv as Andy Burnham’s defence secretary
Wes Streeting made his first visit to Kyiv since becoming defence secretary under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, using the trip to reaffirm the UK's backing for Ukraine in its war with Russia. He declared that Britain remains committed to standing by Ukraine "until they win", signalling continuity in UK military and political support despite the change in government leadership.
The article provided contains only the headline detail of the visit, with no further specifics on meetings held, aid pledges made, or Streeting's public remarks beyond the vow of continued support. It appears alongside unrelated Daily Mail news items, including coverage of Ed Miliband's visit to Washington to meet US counterpart Marco Rubio.
- Streeting visits Kyiv as UK defence secretary for the first time.
- He pledges continued UK support for Ukraine "until they win".
- Visit comes under Andy Burnham's government.
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Wes Streeting is the UK's defence secretary, having taken on the role after Andy Burnham became prime minister. His trip to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is his first there in that job, and such visits by senior ministers are typically used to show solidarity with Ukraine's government as it continues to fight against Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022.
The war has drawn in Western allies like the UK, which has provided military equipment, funding and training to Ukrainian forces, alongside other partners such as the United States and European Union countries. Visits from UK ministers matter because they signal whether this support will continue at the same level, particularly when there has been a change of government or personnel, as there has been with Burnham replacing the previous prime minister.
Any statement from a new defence secretary about the UK's ongoing commitment is watched closely by Kyiv, Moscow and other allies, since shifts in tone or policy from major backers can affect the course of the conflict and the diplomatic pressure on both sides.