"We will not tire. We will not turn away" – main points from the new British PM's article

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has written an article for Ukraine’s Independence Day. You can read more in the article UK Prime Minister: The UK will stand with you in the darkness and in the light.

On the 35th anniversary of the restoration of your independence, the British people stand in solidarity with the free people of Ukraine.

We pay tribute to every Ukrainian fighting to maintain your right to live in a country of your own making. And we honour those who have given their lives so that others will know that future.

On a personal note, I would like to assure the people of Ukraine that while there has been a change of leadership in Britain, there will be no change in our support for Ukraine. President Zelenskyy was the first world leader I hosted as Prime Minister.

Today, Ukraine becomes the first country I visit as Prime Minister.

I want this to serve as a statement that Britain remains your most committed, most reliable friend.

The UK will provide Ukraine with €3.5 billion a year of military support for as long as it takes. At the Ankara Summit, together with NATO Allies, we pledged €70 billion in military assistance, equipment and training for Ukraine this year – and the same again next year.

Make no mistake, Putin sees these numbers as a signal that Ukraine’s friends are sticking around.

Preparations for the next have already begun and Ukraine desperately needs its partners to dig deep – into their stockpiles and their pockets – to provide the air defence systems and energy support needed to protect lives, homes and infrastructure. The UK will be at the forefront of that effort.

We will stand with Ukraine every day your fight lasts. 

The people of Ukraine do not owe Europe anything, it is Europe who owes the people of Ukraine everything – you are not only defending your own freedom, you are defending ours as well. This war was never only about the fate of one nation. I

What happens in Ukraine matters to the whole of Europe, it matters to the rest of the world.

For our part, Britain will not forget about Ukraine.

Our hundred-year partnership is a commitment to the long term. We will not tire. We will not turn away. 

The time will come when Ukrainians gather to celebrate independence free to live in peace and prosperity. And when that moment arrives, Britain will be there: proud to have stood with you in the darkness, ready to build a future with you in the light.