Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Burnham Plays The Smiths During His First Ukraine Visit
Andy Burnham visited Ukraine soon after becoming Britain’s prime minister.
He went to Kyiv to discuss the war and ways Britain could help Ukraine.
During the visit, Ukrainian soldiers gave him an electric guitar.
Burnham played a short part of a song by the Manchester band The Smiths.
The soldiers answered by singing a song by Oasis.
The guitar was made in Kyiv and carried the emblem of Cultural Forces.
Britain also announced plans to share defence information with Ukraine.
Burnham met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
The music gave the serious diplomatic trip a friendly and personal moment.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham played The Smiths on guitar alongside Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv.
The performance took place during a visit to Cultural Forces, a Ukrainian military and artistic unit.
Burnham visited Ukraine on 24 August, meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders.
Britain announced defence cooperation involving missile technology and battlefield data from Ukraine’s Avengers AI Labs.
Burnham also met wounded soldiers and visited a Kyiv shopping centre damaged in a Russian attack.
- Who
- British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ukrainian soldiers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
- What
- Burnham visited Ukraine for diplomatic and defence discussions and played The Smiths on guitar with Ukrainian soldiers.
- When
- 24 August, Ukraine’s Independence Day; Burnham had become prime minister on 20 July.
- Where
- Kyiv, Ukraine, including Cultural Forces’ mobile recording studio.
- Why
- To discuss the war, Ukraine’s air defences, battlefield technology, and further British defence cooperation with Ukraine.
- Visitor
- Andy Burnham, Britain’s prime minister
- Destination
- Kyiv, Ukraine
- Visit date
- 24 August, Ukraine’s Independence Day
- Musical moment
- Burnham played The Smiths on a locally made electric guitar
- Host unit
- Cultural Forces, a Ukrainian military and artistic unit
- Defence cooperation
- MBDA was to share classified information on British components used in the SCALP cruise missile
- Data agreement
- Britain received access to data from Ukraine’s Avengers AI Labs