Andy Burnham phoned Donald Trump about Ukraine’s Starlink access on Friday and stressed to the US president that Kyiv needs "full access" to the satellite system to defend itself against Russia.
Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have simmered after restrictions were placed on Ukraine’s use of the critical technology.
The Prime Minister brought up the matter directly with the US president during a telephone conversation on Friday amid deteriorating relations between the White House and Volodymyr Zelensky’s government.
Kyiv relies heavily on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network to assist in intercepting incoming Russian missile and drone strikes, but experienced speed caps last week that severely limited its defensive capability.
Mr Musk has hinted that the order to impose caps on the service originated from the White House—a claim Mr Trump denied—while the Wall Street Journal reported that the tech billionaire was behind the slowdown.
In a readout summarizing Friday's discussion between the UK and US leaders, a No 10 spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister underlined the importance for Ukraine to have full access to Starlink so they can continue to defend themselves against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
"The Prime Minister recognised the work of President Trump to bring Putin to the negotiation table and the leaders agreed to work together, alongside international partners, to bring an end to the bloodshed."
Mr Burnham noted that the UK is striving to "bring back all sides" behind Ukraine after a turbulent week following the US president’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel to cut fuel prices before challenging mid-term elections.
Outrage over Trump official calling Putin a ‘humanitarian’
Since then, Mr Trump has suggested Mr Zelensky should be replaced and declined to say whether Russia was responsible for the war, while White House aide Steve Witkoff described Vladimir Putin as a "humanitarian".
Downing Street firmly rejected the US envoy’s depiction of the Russian president on Thursday, stating: "President Putin has killed thousands of people, both innocent Ukrainians and his own Russian people, who he has sent to their deaths on the front line.
"He is starving children and the elderly of the heat and warmth, and systematically targeting critical national infrastructure.
"Ukraine’s foreign minister summed it up well this morning when he said: ‘This night, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like’."
Asked if the Government would be making the same argument directly to the US administration, Downing Street said "we engage regularly at a range of levels with a range of partners on Ukraine, and I’m sure we will continue to do so."
Burnham and Zelensky meeting
Mr Burnham pledged Britain’s continued support for Ukraine last week, saying it “will not change” as he welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street.
Speaking during a visit to the North West, he said: “I was proud of the reception that the UK gave to the Ukrainian president yesterday. It was actually quite emotional to be in Downing Street and hear the cheers for him coming through the gates and coming through the Foreign Office. It was quite amazing actually, and I could see how personally moved he was by that.
“Obviously, it’s been a difficult few days for President Zelensky, and that’s why I invited him to the UK to give him that lift, and to see what more we could do. We obviously have close conversations with our US counterparts, and what I’m going to do is build that bridge and make sure that we’re still all working together to support Ukraine.”
Starlink issues endure despite Trump’s claims
Zelensky said Friday that Starlink issues were not yet resolved despite Trump insisting services were fully restored.
"The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there, and the speed has not been restored," he said, contradicting a statement by Trump.
Zelensky also revealed that peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States have agreed to meet at a technical level in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi and that he hopes a meeting of the countries' leaders would follow.
The update came after he spoke with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff following their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week. Zelensky said any peace agreement would need strong security guarantees for Ukraine and funding for 10 years to maintain the Ukrainian army.
"The plan is to meet in the first half of November, and as early as possible, of course," Zelensky said, adding that much would depend on Russia after a similar meeting expected this month failed to materialize.
Zelensky stressed the need for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire and end the war, which is now in its fifth year, and called for Europe to be involved in the talks.
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