UK’s Burnham to push Trump for Patriot missiles for Ukraine

“I’m looking forward to going to New York in September,” Burnham told Bloomberg in Kyiv, referring to the upcoming UN General Assembly. He said the details of the trip had not yet been finalized but that he was likely to attend.

Burnham said European leaders were also considering holding another meeting of the Coalition of the Willing on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with the aim of securing US Patriot interceptors as well as missiles from other countries.

The British prime minister said he left Kyiv “really optimistic” that Ukraine’s shortage of interceptors needed to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks was “fixable.”

The UK does not operate the Patriot system itself, but Burnham said other European countries could contribute and that London had influence with potential suppliers.

Ukraine is seeking 300 Patriot interceptors for the winter, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Aug. 23. He has repeatedly called on the United States and European allies to replenish Ukraine’s stocks as Russia is expected to intensify attacks on energy infrastructure during the colder months.

Global supplies of Patriot missiles have also been strained by the war in Iran, according to Bloomberg, contributing to delays in deliveries and making some allies more reluctant to draw down their own stocks.

Trump has previously stepped back from a promise to provide Ukraine with, or allow it to manufacture, Patriot interceptors. Asked in July about Ukraine’s request to produce the missiles, Trump said the issue was under discussion but called it “a hard thing to give away that kind of technology.”

Burnham visited Kyiv on Aug. 24, his first international trip since becoming prime minister. During the visit, he also announced that the UK would give Ukraine access to classified information on British components used in SCALP cruise missiles, allowing Ukraine to assemble the missiles domestically.