London ignores Moscow's threats and provides Kyiv with technology to manufacture missiles

LondonBritish Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has responded to growing threats from Russia against the United Kingdom by raising his support for Ukraine by one degree. On his first international trip as first, the Labour leader arrived in Kyiv this Monday, where he announced that London will allow Ukraine to access classified military information necessary to manufacture its own version of the Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The British government will authorize the European manufacturer MBDA to declassify data relating to British components of the missile, a step that will allow Kyiv to move towards domestic production of this long-range weapon.

The announcement comes at a time of growing tension between London and Moscow. Last week, Russia threatened London with "consequences" after it emerged that Ukraine had used UK-made drones to attack targets in Russian territory. And on Sunday, the Kremlin announced the withdrawal of its ambassador to London, Andrei Kelin, after seven years in the country. The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused London of having chosen "a path of confrontation" and has called on it to reconsider its policy.

Far from heeding these warnings, Burnham has taken advantage of his visit to Ukraine on the occasion of the Soviet Union's independence day to further strengthen British commitment. "Russia's threats against the United Kingdom only strengthen our resolve," stated the prime minister, who wanted to convey to Ukrainians that British support "will not waver." "Ukraine's security is our security," he emphasized, a policy that, despite changes in government since the start of the Russian invasion, has not varied at any time.

In Kyiv, Burnham met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who crosses its most committed moments, and has chaired its first meeting of the so-called Coalition of Volunteers, the alliance of over 35 countries supporting Ukraine. During the train journey to the Ukrainian capital, he also met with the President of the European Council, António Costa, to whom he assured that the United Kingdom will be "bolder" in approaching the European Union, especially in matters of defense and security. On the other hand, the EU announced today a new package of 6.1 billion euros to help in the purchase of new defense systems.

During the coalition meeting, chaired by Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, participants condemned the escalation of Russian attacks against cities, infrastructure, and civilians, which have caused the highest number of civilian casualties since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. They also denounced attacks on Ukrainian cultural heritage and agreed to increase military aid, urgently strengthen air defense, and toughen sanctions against the Russian military-industrial complex.

The coalition has agreed, at least verbally, to accelerate assistance to Ukraine's energy sector before winter and to continue pressuring the Russian economy to limit resources allocated to the war. According to the statement, sanctions and other measures adopted since February 2022 have already deprived Russia of at least $495 billion. Leaders reiterated that they continue to prepare a multinational force to be deployed in Ukraine once a credible ceasefire is established, as part of a future security guarantee system for the country.

Paris initiated the process

The British decision announced this Monday completes a move initiated by France. In July, Emmanuel Macron had already agreed to hand over to Kyiv the plans for the Scalp-EG missiles, the French version of the Storm Shadow, as part of a broader defense agreement. Now London will allow MBDA to share information about British components that were previously protected. Without this authorization, Ukraine could not fully reproduce the system.

The Storm Shadow, jointly developed by the United Kingdom and France, are cruise missiles launched from aircraft, with a range of about 240 kilometers and a warhead designed to penetrate fortified targets. They play an important role in Ukrainian attacks against Russian military installations and infrastructure located far from the front lines. Ukraine has already used them against targets in occupied Crimea, including the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet and a submarine, and subsequently against targets within Russian territory itself.

Burnham's announced step, however, is more significant than simply delivering missiles. Until now, Western allies had provided Ukraine with weapons manufactured outside the country. Now London and Paris are willing to share enough information for Ukrainians to build their own version. Kyiv has long been demanding this possibility, both to speed up arms supplies and to reduce its dependence on Western deliveries.

The political message is particularly relevant, as it comes amid an escalation of Russian threats against European countries helping Ukraine. Western intelligence services have also warned of a new Russian sabotage campaign against European factories producing weaponry for Ukraine. Fires and explosions have been recorded at plants in Estonia, Italy, and Bulgaria, and NATO officials believe the Kremlin is resorting to local agents to attack military manufacturers without reaching a level that would provoke a military response from the Alliance.

This "hybrid war" seeks, according to NATO officials, to increase tensions among Western allies and dissuade them from continuing to support Ukraine. But London's response is precisely the opposite. The United Kingdom is not only maintaining arms deliveries but is willing to share one of the most sensitive forms of support: classified military technology.

The decision also highlights the difference between European allies and Washington on this issue. Zelensky hopes that the United States will follow the British and French example and authorize Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles, which it urgently needs to defend itself against Russian ballistic missiles. For now, however, and after contradictory announcements, Washington has not authorized it.

The problem is particularly urgent, as Russia has intensified its long-range attacks against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine suffers a shortage of interceptors. Zelensky himself has identified the supply of these missiles as one of the country's two major challenges, along with a $27 billion financial deficit in its Ministry of Defense.

For Burnham, therefore, Russian threats have not acted as a deterrent. On the contrary: the prime minister has taken advantage of his first foreign visit to set a profile on which he had not previously commented.