Burnham says he wants to 'repair bridges' between Ukraine and US
It comes ahead of a meeting between the prime minister and President Zelensky at Downing Street.
Burnham says he wants to 'repair bridges' between Ukraine and US
Burnham met Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said it is his job to "repair bridges" between Ukraine and the United States, ahead of a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street.
The comments come after President Donald Trump said he had reached a deal with Moscow to import Russian diesel.
When asked about Trump's move during Prime Minister's Questions, Burnham declined to criticise the US president, saying he wanted to "be careful in terms of laying the ground to bring people back together".
He also insisted Zelensky would not leave the UK "empty-handed", saying more military and financial support would be prepared in the coming weeks.
Burnham is expected to use the visit to pledge further sanctions on Russia, while also announcing that the UK will speed up deliveries of air defence missiles to Kyiv.
The UK will also call on allies to increase pressure on Russia, with Chancellor John Healey using International Monetary Fund meetings to push for a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).
During PMQs, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asked whether he agreed the diesel deal was "yet another shameful Trump betrayal of the Ukrainian people and European security".
In reply, Burnham did not repeat Sir Ed's criticism of Trump, saying: "What I have to do in my role is try and repair bridges so that the support comes back and therefore I should at this moment in time be careful in terms of laying the ground to bring people back together."
The PM said he had spoken to Zelensky by phone on Saturday "because I recognised it was another very dark and difficult moment for him as they contemplate a winter that will be severe for his people".
The call came after Trump announced that President Vladimir Putin had agreed to release millions of tonnes of Russian diesel into the US, as he suspended sanctions on diesel from Moscow.
Zelensky described the move as a gift to Putin, warning it would give Moscow money to keep fighting its war against Ukraine.
Trump replied by saying it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president"
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On Sunday, the US president said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire - but hours later, Zelensky said Russian attacks on energy facilities were still continuing.
On Monday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine did not deserve the "respite" a ceasefire would bring.
This is Zelensky's second visit to the UK since Burnham became prime minister. His first came in late July, days after Burnham entered No 10, when the two met troops and held a news conference at a naval base in Portsmouth.
Among the measures being announced is the faster delivery of British Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs), with the UK already committed to sending more than 5,000 worth £1.6bn over the next four years.