Britain, France pledge stronger military support for Ukraine — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Britain and France have pledged stronger military support for Ukraine, including access to classified technology and faster deliveries of air-defence missiles, as Kyiv marked the 35th anniversary of independence, Reuters reported. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, making his first foreign visit since taking office last month, attended a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” in Kyiv and urged allies to “do everything we can” to strengthen Ukraine’s defences against Russian air strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the resilience of his people after more than four years of war, while reiterating that Ukraine wanted peace but would not surrender. “Ukraine absolutely wants peace, but it is not ready to simply surrender,” Zelenskiy said, adding that Russia would not end its aggression even if Ukraine accepted its demands for more territory in the east. Wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt, Zelenskiy thanked foreign leaders for travelling to Kyiv to demonstrate their support on the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. Standing alongside Zelenskiy and European Council President Antonio Costa, Burnham said choosing Kyiv for his first foreign visit demonstrated the importance he attached to supporting Ukraine’s defence. “We are with you in this struggle all the way, heart and soul,” Burnham said, while vowing to maintain support despite what he called Russia’s “outrageous threats” against Britain….