Burnham to take Zelenskyy's Patriot missile pleas to Trump as Kremlin accuses UK PM of 'war party' — US military plane lands in Moscow

25 August 2026 | Kyiv, Moscow, Berlin, New York — Updated 23:45 GMT

Andy Burnham has said he is likely to attend the UN general assembly in New York next month, a chance for the new prime minister to meet a host of world leaders — including Donald Trump — as he takes Volodymyr Zelenskyy's pleas for Patriot missiles directly to the US president.

Speaking in Kyiv after a meeting with the Ukrainian president, Burnham said: "I'm looking forward to going to New York in September. Leaving today, I'm quite clear what I need to do in the next few weeks."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has accused Andy Burnham of wanting the conflict in Ukraine to continue, saying the UK prime minister and Finnish president Alexander Stubb belonged to the "party of war", Russian media reported.

"We now see that such escalatory statements have prevailed. Mr Stubb is also a prominent representative of the 'war party', along with the British prime minister. They have distinguished themselves over the past few days with such bellicose statements. They want the war to continue," Peskov said.

A US military transport aircraft has landed in Moscow, according to air traffic monitoring data cited by Russia's Tass news agency. Data showed the plane departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Sunday, transited Riga in Latvia and landed in Moscow at about 10am local time.

Welcome to the latest world headlines — where missile diplomacy, Kremlin rhetoric, and peace efforts collide across Europe.

Burnham to Take Zelenskyy's Patriot Missile Pleas to Trump at UN General Assembly

Andy Burnham has said he is likely to attend the UN general assembly in New York next month, a chance for the new prime minister to meet a host of world leaders — including Donald Trump — as he takes Volodymyr Zelenskyy's pleas for Patriot missiles directly to the US president.

While Downing Street said the plans were not definite, the prime minister told Bloomberg in an interview: "I'm looking forward to going to New York in September."

Speaking in Kyiv after a meeting with the Ukrainian president, Burnham went on: "I've not fully confirmed the details yet but it's likely I will go, particularly after today's discussion. Leaving today, I'm quite clear what I need to do in the next few weeks."

If it did take place, it would be Burnham's first visit to the US since taking office, and could potentially provide an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump.

Dozens of world leaders gather annually for the general assembly. This year's meeting takes place from 22-28 September, which could be logistically tricky for Burnham given Labour's annual conference begins in Liverpool on 27 September.

Attending would give Burnham the opportunity to meet a number of other world leaders at once, even if bilateral talks tend to be brief amid the frenetic schedule of the gathering.

Kremlin Accuses Burnham of Wanting Ukraine War to Continue

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has accused Andy Burnham of wanting the conflict in Ukraine to continue, saying the UK prime minister and Finnish president Alexander Stubb belonged to the "party of war", Russian media reported.

During a visit to Kyiv yesterday, Stubb said he supported Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian territory, arguing that they could raise the cost of war for Russia and help force Moscow to the negotiating table.

When asked to respond, Peskov said: "We now see that such escalatory statements have prevailed. Mr Stubb is also a prominent representative of the 'war party', along with the British prime minister. They have distinguished themselves over the past few days with such bellicose statements. They want the war to continue."

US Military Plane Lands in Moscow Amid Diplomatic Flurry

A US military transport aircraft has landed in Moscow, according to air traffic monitoring data cited by Russia's Tass news agency.

Data showed the plane departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Sunday, transited Riga in Latvia and landed in Moscow at about 10am local time this morning.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had no information about the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III that landed in Moscow, Tass reported.

Reuters reported that the last time a US jet flew to Russia from Europe was in January, when special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin for peace talks.

Vatican Envoy Meets Lavrov in Moscow: 'The Ukrainian War Must End'

Vatican envoy Paul Gallagher met Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow earlier today, stressing the importance of diplomacy and dialogue during what he called a difficult time for international relations, Reuters reports.

Gallagher said the world needed diplomacy more than ever.

Following the meeting, Reuters has some snap quotes from Pope Leo XIV's representative. He is quoted as saying that "The Ukrainian war must end" and that the pair discussed "avenues for pursuing lasting and just peace in Ukraine".

Meanwhile, Russia has rejected French accusations that Moscow conducted a cyberattack campaign against European countries including France, saying Paris was trying to revive the "myth of a 'Russian threat'."

Merz: Perpetrators Behind German Airport Drone Bomb 'Will Pay'

German chancellor Friedrich Merz has spoken out for the first time about the attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport earlier this month. As my colleagues Deborah Cole and Andrew Roth reported at the time, a small drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig/Halle airport, a major cargo and military logistics hub that handles aid shipments to Ukraine. The incident triggered an alarm and forced several flights to be diverted. German police deployed a bomb disposal robot to defuse and destroy the explosive device, which was found in the vicinity of several Ukrainian cargo planes.

Merz said Germany has "increasingly come into the crosshairs of hybrid attackers" and that perpetrators must face consequences. "They will pay for it," Merz said, according to the German newspaper Die Welt.

Merz said his government was "working closely with the security authorities" on the matter, and that it will present its findings "shortly".

Local media, citing security sources, have reported potential Russian involvement in the attempted attack, but Merz did not comment on the possible perpetrators.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine Has Received Small Number of US-Made Patriot Interceptors

Ukraine has recently received a small number of US-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.

Reuters reports the country also got confirmation of future supplies of the French Crotale surface-to-air missile system. He did not say how many had arrived, or who had supplied them. Zelenskyy was speaking to Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne.

During his meeting with Zelenskyy, Burnham said there would be "no change in the UK's steadfast support" for Kyiv.

He also urged Ukraine's allies to send more Patriot missiles to Kyiv as Ukraine struggles under continued Russian bombardment, and co-chaired his first coalition of the willing meeting, where he said the group was doing "everything we can" to "dig into our own stocks and help others dig into their stocks".

Zelenskyy has pleaded for more US-made interceptor missiles in recent months as Kyiv's stocks have diminished. Supplies of Patriots have been diverted to the Middle East since the outbreak of the US's war against Iran, with Ukraine receiving significantly fewer missiles this year than in previous years.

During the interview with Bloomberg, Burnham said he felt "really confident" the weaponry problem 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."

Russia has sought to capitalise on the shortage by increasing its ballistic missile strikes, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 in the past three days.

Russia has threatened unspecified potential retaliation against the UK for what Moscow says is increased involvement in the conflict.

---

Stay updated with the latest world headlines, Ukraine war developments, and breaking news on our World News Page.