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 on Monday, where he announced that London will allow Ukraine to access classified military information needed to manufacture its own version of the Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The British government will authorize 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 choosing "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 UK 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 remarked, a policy that, despite changes in governments since the start of the Russian invasion, has not varied at any time.

In Kyiv, Burnham met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who crosses its most compromising moments, and has chaired its first meeting of the so-called Coalition of Volunteers, the alliance of more than 35 countries that support 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 today announced a new package of 6.1 billion euros to help purchase new defense systems.

Paris began the process

The British decision announced this Monday completes a move initiated by France. In July, Emmanuel Macron had already agreed to supply Kyiv with the plans for 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 air-launched cruise missiles 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 the mere delivery of 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 supply 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 armaments for Ukraine. Fires and explosions have been recorded in 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 between Western allies and deter them from continuing to support Ukraine. But London's response is precisely the opposite. The United Kingdom not only maintains 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. Zelenski 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. Zelenski himself has pointed to the supply of these missiles as one of the country's two major challenges, along with a financial deficit of 27 billion dollars in its Ministry of Defense.

For Burnham, therefore, Russian threats have not worked 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.