Hello, and welcome to our Europe live blog. A day after hosting world leaders in Ukraine for the country’s independence day celebrations, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has taken to social media with a flurry of posts thanking those who sent their best wishes, including Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian president appeared to make a pointed nod to one of his most pressing requests, saying Trump’s message of support lifted spirits “much like the sound of a Patriot PAC-3 launch”. The US Patriot air defence system has been instrumental in protecting Ukraine’s cities from Russian attacks, but stocks are running dangerously low. The shortage has been compounded by the US and Israel’s war on Iran, with Patriot interceptors diverted to defend US bases and regional allies in the Middle East, leaving fewer available for Ukraine as Russia continues to launch waves of ballistic missiles.
In his first international trip as prime minister, Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv yesterday where he announced the UK government will release the blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the UK’s Storm Shadow cruise missile, allowing Ukraine to work with France to produce its own version.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with Britain’s prime minister Andy Burnham ahead of their bilateral meeting in Kyiv on Monday.“Ukraine has been Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security, but the frontline of keeping Europe safe,” Burnham said.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Burnham said he would travel to the New York next month to join European leaders lobbying Trump to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles. If it goes ahead, it would be his first trip to the US as prime minister.
Burnham said he was “really optimistic” that Ukraine’s interceptor shortage was “fixable”, but added: “There are other players who could help in the mix who we have influence with. It’s probably going to be a solution that involves a lot of layers and a lot of negotiation.”
European council president, António Costa, is on his way to Slovakia as part of his annual tour of European capitals. He is scheduled to hold talks in Bratislava with prime minister Robert Fico, who has not been as forthcoming as other European leaders on military aid to Ukraine.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will host the Vatican’s most senior diplomat, Paul Gallagher, for talks in Moscow. The official Vatican News described the four-day visit as “a mission of dialogue and peace”, but made no mention of whether Ukraine would be on the agenda.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz is back from summer recess and is meeting with his ministers in Brandenburg this morning. He faces a crucial test at the polls next month, with his party under pressure to hold ground against the surging far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The AfD has a real chance of taking power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September – one of three state elections taking place this autumn – in what could be a major blow to Merz’s coalition.
