The British Prime Minister pays a surprise visit to Ukraine on Independence Day. At the meeting with President Selenskyj, he promised further military aid of around 64 million euros. “I believe Ukraine can and will win this war,” Johnson said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made a surprise visit to Kyiv six months after Russia launched a war of aggression against Ukraine. There is a “strong will among Ukrainians to resist” that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not understand, Johnson told journalists during his visit to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day. Addressing the Ukrainian people, he added: “You are defending your right to live in peace, in freedom. That is why Ukraine will win.”
Johnson has pledged 54 million pounds (about 64 million euros) in military aid to Ukraine. The package includes 2,000 drones and guided missiles, which are said to enable the Ukrainian military to better counter the invading Russian forces and track their movements more closely. “Britain will continue to stand by our Ukrainian friends. I believe Ukraine can and will win this war,” Johnson said on Twitter.
Ukraine declared its independence on August 24, 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. On February 24 of this year, Russia began its invasion of the neighboring country.
At a meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi presented Johnson with the Order of Freedom – an award given by the Ukrainian state to people who support the country’s sovereignty. Great Britain is helping “to bring our victory closer,” Zelenskyj said. “And we are sure of this victory.” Not every country is “lucky enough to have such a friend”.
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s closest allies since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Among other things, London provided Kyiv with weapons, financial aid and support in training the Ukrainian army. Britain will “not surrender to Putin’s blackmail for a second,” Johnson said.