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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speak aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth at Portsmouth Naval Base in Portsmouth, England, on Monday. / Courtesy of EPA, Yonhap

New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a summit at Portsmouth Naval Base in England on Monday.

The meeting marks Prime Minister Burnham's first encounter with a foreign leader just a week after taking office. Burnham confirmed that the British government will fully honor its commitments to Ukraine and announced plans to visit Kyiv soon, according to AP.

The two leaders discussed securing additional ballistic missile interceptors and joint defense production to counter Russian attacks. The two countries have already signed a agreement to develop new drones, with the U.S. transferring intellectual property rights for its electronic warfare system "Stone Cloak"—designed to disrupt air defense networks—to Ukraine, AP reported.

Burnham said, "The U.S. stands 100% with Ukraine, and we will fully deliver on every commitment made to Ukraine."

Zelenskyy also described bilateral relations as "stronger than ever," stating that he discussed "joint defense production" with Burnham. He added that the two nations signed a new drone development agreement and expressed hope to build a "very large factory" in the U.S.

Airstrikes between Ukraine and Russia continued the previous day. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 147 long-range drones overnight, 123 of which were intercepted or jammed by Ukraine.

The attacks resulted in casualties and damage to residential buildings and infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, Balakliya, and Nikopol. Highway gas stations serving as supply points in the Kharkiv region were notably heavily destroyed.

Ukraine is also expanding drone attacks targeting the Russian mainland and occupied territories. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it shot down 276 Ukrainian drones overnight.

                                                                                                           Lee Jeong-eun