{"text":[[{"start":7.6,"text":"Andy Burnham has said he wants to “repair bridges” between Ukraine and the US, as he welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Downing Street for the first time since becoming UK prime minister in July."}],[{"start":18.52,"text":"The British leader spoke out on Wednesday after Donald Trump agreed a deal with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to release diesel to the global market. The US president is trying to ease domestic cost of living pressures in the run-up to midterm elections next month."}],[{"start":33.28,"text":"The controversial agreement secured between Trump and Putin last week has triggered a backlash from Kyiv and criticism in Europe, including from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni."}],[{"start":43.96,"text":"Asked about it at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Burnham acknowledged that Zelenskyy was facing “another very dark and difficult moment” and “carrying the heaviest of weights” as Kyiv contemplates the severe winter ahead."}],[{"start":55.52,"text":"The Ukrainian president “will not be going away from Britain today empty-handed”, Burnham vowed, stressing that the UK’s support was “unwavering”."}],[{"start":64.2,"text":"The prime minister, whose first overseas visit was to Ukraine in August, used Zelenskyy’s visit to announce an acceleration of UK military support for Kyiv and fresh sanctions aimed at curbing Moscow."}],[{"start":76.48,"text":"It includes faster deliveries of British lightweight multirole missiles to counter Russian jet-powered drones. Ministers were looking at “all possible avenues” for further options to help, Burnham said."}],[{"start":87.72,"text":"He defended the Ukrainian president’s willingness to “sit down and discuss” the energy ceasefire proposed by Trump, but highlighted Russia’s “further attacks on critical national infrastructure in Ukraine”."}],[{"start":98.58,"text":"In the House of Commons, the prime minister also shed light on his own delicate diplomatic task mediating between Ukraine and the US."}],[{"start":105.8,"text":"“What I have to do in my role is try and repair bridges so that the support comes back, and therefore I should, at this moment in time, be careful in terms of laying the ground to bring people back together,” he told MPs."}],[{"start":118.12,"text":"Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who raised the issue in parliament, accused Trump of “ripping up international sanctions against Putin” and said it was “another shameful Trump betrayal of the Ukrainian people and European security”."}],[{"start":132,"text":"In an interview while in London, Zelenskyy said he felt betrayed by Trump and told the Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube show: “It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner.”"}],[{"start":142.72,"text":"Burnham’s intervention came as British defence secretary Wes Streeting warned that the future of the UK-US relationship “cannot run on the fumes of nostalgia” as he prepared to meet his American counterpart Pete Hegseth."}],[{"start":155.36,"text":"In his first trip to Washington since taking the defence brief, Streeting said Britain and the US “need to modernise our partnership for the world we face now”."}],[{"start":164.2,"text":"He said that while the last century “was defined by British and American soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield, this century should also be defined by our scientists, engineers and businesses working side by side in our labs and factories”."}],[{"start":179.28,"text":"Streeting added that a “modern, indispensable alliance” between Britain and America would help defend transatlantic freedom."}],[{"start":186.76,"text":"His remarks came after UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband said Trump’s diesel deal with Putin had sparked “a very difficult few days” in transatlantic relations."}],[{"start":196.52,"text":"On arriving at Number 10 earlier in the day, Zelenskyy was greeted by a rare ceremonial guard of the No 12 Company Irish Guards — a British Army regiment known as “The Micks” who have played a significant role in Operation Interflex, the UK-led international training programme for the Ukrainian military."}],[{"start":218.83,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1792029228_5811.mp3"}