Boris Johnson today vowed to send Ukraine 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems to expel Putin's invading army after the British prime minister met Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in an unannounced 'surprise' visit to Kyiv.
Boris Johnson today vowed to send Ukraine 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems to expel Putin's invading army after the British prime minister met Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in an unannounced 'surprise' visit to Kyiv.
A picture shared by Ukrainian officials showed the pair sitting across a table from each other in a grand room, their respective flags on the far-side. Johnson was wearing a dark suit and Zelensky a khaki overall, his signature attire in public appearances since February 24.
Details of the meeting had not been made public prior to the image's release. The Embassy of Ukraine to the UK was one of the first to share the picture, writing: 'Surprise' with a winking face emoji.
A No 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister was using the visit to set out a new package of financial and military aid, and comes the day after he announced a further £100million worth of UK military assistance for Kyiv's forces, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons and so-called 'suicide drones'.
'The Prime Minister has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelensky in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,' the spokesman said. 'They will discuss the UK's long term support to Ukraine and the PM will set out a new package of financial and military aid.'
Official photos released later showed Zelensky welcoming the British leader in a courtyard in Kyiv, before the pair entered a building for their meeting. Johnson later posted his own picture of the meeting on Twitter, saying he was there 'as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine'.
After their meeting, Zelensky wrote: 'The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson is one of the most principled opponents of the Russian invasion, a leader in sanctions pressure on Russia and defense support of Ukraine. Welcome to Kyiv my friend.'
Johnson's visit makes him the first G7 leader to visit Kyiv since Putin launched his invasion, and follows trips to Kyiv by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday and the visit of the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer earlier on Saturday.
Last month, it was reported that the Prime Minister had asked officials to examine the practicality and value of the trip to the Ukrainian capital for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. Since then, Moscow has pulled its forces back from Kyiv and the surrounding area in a bid to refocus its military campaign in the eastern Donbas region.
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