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British prime minister pays a second surprise visit to Kyiv.

Boris Johnson promised new military aid that would train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days.

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By Stephen Castle

• June 17, 2022

LONDON — Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, on Friday paid a second, surprise, visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, offering a training program for the country’s military in a fresh show of support for Ukraine’s government just a day after key European leaders made a similar trip.

During the visit, Mr. Johnson promised a new package of help with the potential to train up to 10,000 soldiers every 120 days and to provide the “strategic endurance” required to drive out Russian forces.

Britain has already provided extensive military support to Ukraine. At a news conference, Mr. Johnson said that Britain would help the Ukrainian military “to do what I believe Ukrainians yearn to do and that is to expel the aggressor from Ukraine.”

Mr. Johnson said that each Ukrainian soldier would spend three weeks on a course that would provide training in frontline battle skills, medical techniques, cybersecurity and tactics for countering explosives.

The two leaders also discussed how Britain could help to end a Russian naval blockade that is preventing the export of grain, Downing Street said, without providing any further details. There has been speculation that Britain might provide ships, though so far the government says it has taken no decisions.

Having recently survived a no-confidence vote among his own lawmakers, Mr. Johnson might hope that a visit to Kyiv could boost his own popularity after more bad news headlines this week.

Mr. Johnson, who has been one of the world’s most voluble supporters of the Ukrainian government, has cultivated strong ties with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and visited in April.

Although not the first foreign leader to make the journey to Ukraine after the Russian invasion, he was among the earliest, and was given a warm reception in Kyiv on a trip that was seen as a diplomatic success.

Mr. Johnson’s government has offered weapons as well as diplomatic support to Ukraine, and has been singled out by the Russian government as being hostile to Moscow. Inside Ukraine, the prime minister’s unflagging support for the war effort has made him something of a folk hero in contrast to his position at home, where he has been fighting for political survival. (A street in Odesa and a special pastry in Kyiv have been named after him.)

Mr. Johnson’s visit follows that of President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy. They offered their support for Ukraine to become a candidate for European Union membership, an issue that will be considered by the 27 leaders of the bloc next week. Referring to a decision by the European Commission on Friday to recommend approval of that step, Mr. Zelensky described it as a “historic moment” for his country.

Britain has left the European Union, so its assistance to Mr. Zelensky is more focused on supplying weaponry and other support.

Though Mr. Johnson’s visit was a surprise, rumors began to spread when he unexpectedly canceled a potentially more fraught speaking engagement with some of his own lawmakers — a significant minority of whom last week tried unsuccessfully to oust him — without giving a reason.

Stephen Castle is London correspondent, writing widely about Britain, including the country’s politics and relationship with Europe. More about Stephen Castle

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

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Boris Johnson meets Volodymyr Zelenskyy in surprise Kyiv visit, pledges more munitions and economic support for Ukraine

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined the stream of European leaders showing their support for Ukraine by travelling to the nation's capital for face-to-face meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Key points:

• Boris Johnson promised more military assistance, including 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems
• He also pledged an additional $670 million in World Bank lending, taking Britain's total loan guarantee to up to $1.3 billion

The EU and Britain are also increasing economic sanctions against Russia 

Mr Johnson's surprise Saturday visit included a pledge of new military assistance, including 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems.

This came a day after he promised to send an additional $174 million of high-grade military equipment to Ukraine, saying Britain wanted to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.

Mr Johnson also confirmed further economic support, guaranteeing an additional $670 million in World Bank lending to Ukraine, taking Britain's total loan guarantee to up to $1.3 billion.

"Today I met my friend President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine,'' Mr Johnson said on Twitter.

He said Britain was offering a new package of financial and military aid to help Ukraine against "Russia's barbaric campaign".

The Ukrainian leader praised the actions of the UK and encouraged other countries to follow suit.

"We must put more and more pressure on the Russian Federation, work harder to help the people of Ukraine defend it against the Russian Federation, and step up sanctions," Mr Zelenskyy said.

"Other democratic Western states should follow the example of Great Britain. It's time to impose a complete ban on Russian energy supplies, and increase the delivery of weapons to us."

An image of the two leaders meeting was posted online by the Ukrainian Embassy in London with the headline: "Surprise," and a winking smiley face.

Zelenskyy seeks peace despite atrocities

Mr Zelenskyy said he was committed to pressing for peace, despite Russian attacks on civilians that have stunned the world, and he renewed his plea for more weapons ahead of an expected surge in fighting in the country's east.

He made the comments a day after at least 52 people were killed in a strike on a train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, and as evidence of civilian killings came to light after Russian troops failed to seize the capital, Kyiv, where Mr Zelenskyy has hunkered down.

"No one wants to negotiate with a person or people who tortured this nation. It's all understandable. And, as a man, as a father, I understand this very well," Mr Zelenskyy said.

"[But] we don't want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution.

"We have to fight, but fight for life. You can't fight for dust when there is nothing and no people. That's why it is important to stop this war."

Russian troops that withdrew from northern Ukraine are now regrouping for what is expected to be an intensified push to retake the eastern Donbas region, including the besieged port city of Mariupol that Ukrainian fighters are striving to defend.

The Ukrainian President said those defenders were tying up "a big part of the enemy forces", characterising the battle to hold Mariupol as "the heart of the war" right now.

"It's beating. We're fighting. We're strong. And, if it stops beating, we will be in a weaker position," he said.

Mr Zelenskyy said he was confident Ukrainians would accept peace, despite the horrors they have witnessed in the more-than-six-week-long war.

Those horrors have included gruesome images of bodies of civilians found in yards, parks and city squares and buried in mass graves in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha after Russian troops withdrew.

Ukrainian and Western leaders have accused Moscow of war crimes.

Russia has falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged. It also put the blame on Ukraine for the attack on the train station in Kramatorsk as thousands of people rushed to flee ahead of an expected Russian offensive.

Despite hopes for peace, Mr Zelenskyy acknowledged that he must be "realistic" about the prospects for a swift resolution, given that negotiations have so far been limited to low-level talks that do not include Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Huge convoy heading to Donbas

Newly released Maxar satellite imagery collected on Friday shows a 13 kilometre-long convoy of military vehicles headed south to the Donbas region through the Ukrainian town of Velykyi Burluk.

Velykyi Burluk is about 23kms south-west of the Russian border.

Western military analysts said an arc of territory in eastern Ukraine was under Russian control, from Kharkiv — Ukraine's second-largest city — in the north to Kherson in the south.

But counterattacks are threatening Russian control of Kherson, according to the Western assessments, and Ukrainian forces are repelling Russian assaults elsewhere in the Donbas, a largely Russian-speaking and industrial region.

NATO plans permanent military presence at border

NATO is working on plans for a permanent military presence on its border in an effort to battle future Russian aggression, The Telegraph reported, citing NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg.

NATO was "in the midst of a very fundamental transformation" that would reflect "the long-term consequences" of Mr Putin's actions, Mr Stoltenberg said in an interview with the newspaper.

"What we see now is a new reality, a new normal for European security," it cited Stoltenberg as saying.

"Therefore, we have now asked our military commanders to provide options for what we call a reset, a longer-term adaptation of NATO."

Mr Stoltenberg, who recently said he would extend his term as head of the alliance by a year, also said in the interview that decisions on the reset would be made at a NATO summit to be held in Madrid in June.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II and led Western nations to rethink their defence policies.

Residents emerge from school basement to count the dead

The names of the dead are scrawled on the peeling wall of a school basement where residents say more than 300 people were trapped for weeks by Russian occupiers in Yahidne, a village north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Halyna Tolochina, a member of the village council, struggled to compose herself as she went through the list, scribbled in black on the plaster on either side of a green door, in the gloomy warren where she said she and hundreds of others were confined.

To the left of the door were scrawled the seven names of people killed by Russian soldiers.

To the right were the 10 names of people who died because of the harsh conditions in the basement, she said.

"This old man died first," Tolochina said, pointing at the name of Muzyka D, for Dmytro Muzyka, whose death was recorded on March 9.

"He died in the big room, in this one."

She said Mr Muzyka's body lay for a few days in a boiler room until, during a break in shelling, some people were allowed to take the dead to be buried in hastily dug graves in the village cemetery.

Reuters spoke to seven residents of Yahidne who said that, in total, at least 20 people died or were killed during the Russian occupation.

No official death toll has been released by Ukrainian authorities.

Reuters was not able to verify independently the villagers' accounts. Reporters saw one freshly dug grave in a field by the village and two bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets.

The Kremlin did not respond to requests for comment on the events in Yahidne.

UK to send anti-tank missiles and precision munitions 

The package of military aid Britain announced on Friday includes more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, another 800 anti-tank missiles and precision munitions capable of lingering in the sky until directed to their target.

"Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century,″ Mr Johnson said in a statement.

"It is because of President Zelenskyy's resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's monstrous aims are being thwarted.''

Mr Johnson reiterated remarks made earlier by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of the EU preparing for more sanctions against Russia.

"Together with our partners, we are going to ratchet up the economic pressure and we will continue to intensify, week by week, the sanctions on Russia," he said.

EU raises over $13 billion for Ukraine

As Mr Zelenskyy makes a continuous round of virtual appearances to drum up support from politicians around the world, other European leaders have decided the time is right to travel to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, for in-person talks.

Ms von der Leyen was in Kyiv on Friday, following earlier visits from the Czech, Polish, Slovenian and Austrian prime ministers.

She also travelled to the town of Bucha near Kyiv where Ukrainian authorities have begun exhuming the bodies of civilians believed to have been killed by Russian forces , in what has been described by the Ukrainian President as a "massacre".

On Saturday, Ms von der Leyen travelled to Warsaw to lead a fundraising event she said had raised 9.1 billion euros ($13.3 billion) for Ukrainian refugees.

The global pledging event, which was also launched by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sought to raise money for internally displaced people in Ukraine and refugees from the war-ravaged country, organisers said.

More than 4.4 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

The event, partnered by the Global Citizen movement, comprised a social media rally on Friday and a pledging conference on Saturday.

Artists including Elton John, Alanis Morissette, Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox and Chris Rock joined the campaign alongside global leaders pledging for their countries.

In his daily late-night video address to the nation, Mr Zelenskyy thanked Ms von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the global fundraising event.

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Zelensky praises Boris Johnson’s support on sanctions, aid after surprise visit

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the British Embassy in Kyiv had shared a photo on Twitter announcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to Ukraine. The photo was shared by the Ukrainian Embassy in London. The article has been corrected.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on leaders of Western democracies to “follow the example of the United Kingdom” during British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Saturday.

“We have to exert pressure in the form of sanctions, and I’m grateful to the United Kingdom that continues and intensifies the sanctions and also provides significant support to Ukraine by reinforcing our defense capacities,” Zelensky said at a news conference, calling on Western countries to impose an embargo on Russian energy sources and supply more weapons to Ukraine.

Calling Moscow’s war “inexcusable,” Johnson pledged to intensify sanctions on Russia, “not just freezing assets in banks and sanctioning oligarchs, but moving away from the use of Russian hydrocarbons.” He also promised Britain’s help with clearing mines left behind by Russian forces and said Britain would liberalize trade with Ukraine.

Biden says Bucha killings a ‘war crime,’ seeks new sanctions on Russia

“What this war is certainly producing is a clarity about a vision for the future of Ukraine, where together with friends and partners, we, the U.K., and others, supply the equipment, the technology, the know-how, the intelligence, so that Ukraine will never be invaded again — so that Ukraine is so fortified and so protected that Ukraine can never be bullied again, never be blackmailed again, never be threatened in the same way again,” Johnson said at the news conference alongside Zelensky.

The trip was Johnson’s first to the war-ravaged country since the Russian invasion. A Downing Street spokeswoman said the British leader traveled to Ukraine in “a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people” and intended to present a new package of military and financial aid.

The Ukrainian Embassy in London announced the visit by sharing a photo on Twitter of Johnson and Zelensky on Saturday with the caption “Surprise.” The two leaders were pictured sitting across from each other at a conference table, with the British and Ukrainian flags in the background.

In a Telegram post after the meeting, Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, called the conversation between Zelensky and Johnson “very full and constructive.” Yermak said he is in regular contact with Johnson’s national security adviser, Stephen Lovegrove, and with David Quarrey, his foreign affairs adviser, “so the visit was not spontaneous.”

Today I met my friend President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine. We're setting out a new package of financial & military aid which is a testament of our commitment to his country's struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign. pic.twitter.com/KNY0Nm6NQ3 — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 9, 2022

Later on Saturday, Zelensky shared a video on his Telegram channel showing the two men walking down largely empty streets in Kyiv, flanked by soldiers. A Ukrainian man they encountered on one street corner yelled out thanks to Johnson before shaking his hand. During their walk, a woman who said she was from Kharkiv offered Johnson and Zelensky ceramic roosters, which became a symbol of Ukrainian resilience after one such ceramic piece survived a Russian attack on a building in the village of Borodyanka near Kyiv, the president’s office said.

Johnson had traveled to Ukraine in February as Russia was preparing to invade. Oliver Dowden, a chairman of the Conservative Party, told LBC Radio last month that the British prime minister was “desperate” to go to Ukraine and has a “real emotional connection” with the Ukrainian people.

Zelensky has repeatedly praised Johnson, calling him “an example” for other world leaders. Johnson and Zelensky reportedly speak most days, and Britain moved to help Ukraine before other European countries.

Zelensky on Saturday expressed gratitude toward Johnson for the “direct, very clear and specific position of your wonderful and powerful country,” thanking him for visiting and calling him “our most sincere friend.”

“You came here, and we are especially grateful that this happened — this is a true reflection of the decisive and significant support to Ukraine from the United Kingdom, and we always are grateful for that, we shall always remember that,” Zelensky said.

Johnson’s trip came a day after he announced that Britain would provide an additional $130 million worth of weapons to Ukraine after the “unconscionable bombing” of fleeing Ukrainians at a train station Friday in eastern Ukraine.

The military equipment will include Starstreak antiaircraft missiles and 800 antitank missiles, Johnson said, as well as precision munitions and additional helmets, body armor and night-vision equipment.

In Kyiv on Saturday, Johnson pledged 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missiles to Ukraine. He also said the U.K. would guarantee $500 million more in World Bank lending to Ukraine, according to a statement from Downing Street.

What weapons to send to Ukraine? How debate shifted from helmets to tanks.

Johnson’s visit followed a trip by European Union leaders to Ukraine on Friday. Because Britain is no longer a member of the E.U., Johnson has made a coordinated but separate effort to show support for Ukraine.

Hours after the visit, Zelensky warned in his nightly address that “the whole European project is a target for Russia” and called on “all democracies, the whole civilized world” to impose an embargo on Russian oil as a first step in pushing Moscow toward a peace deal with Kyiv.

The United Kingdom announced last month that it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year. The United States has banned imports of Russian oil, but Europe, dependent on Russia’s supply, has remained resistant.

In his address Saturday night, Zelensky said Russian oil and gas were the “two sources of Russian self-confidence, and their sense of impunity.”

“Russia can still afford to live in illusions and bring new military forces and new equipment to our land,” Zelensky said, according to an English translation posted to his Telegram account. “And it means that ever more sanctions are needed. Even more weapons for our state are needed.”

Miriam Berger contributed to this report.

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British PM makes surprise visit to Kyiv, meets Zelenskyy

British Prime Minister’s visit follows UK pledge of more sophisticated military equipment to fight Russia.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, a surprise visit to the war-scarred capital following the UK pledge to provide more than $130 million in sophisticated weaponry to Ukraine on Friday.

The Ukraine embassy in the UK tweeted a picture of the two leaders meeting with a one-word caption: “Surprise”.

Keep reading

‘sow panic and fear’: rocket strike kills dozens in east ukraine, ukraine urges civilians to flee as rail attack toll rises, russia admits ‘significant losses of troops’ in ukraine, uk’s johnson meets zelenskyy in kyiv ‘in show of solidarity’.

Andriy Sybiha, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, also announced the meeting in a Facebook post, saying the two had a “one-on-one meeting” in Kyiv.

Downing Street described Johnson’s visit as a “show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people”, and said the talks with the Ukrainian president would focus on long-term support for the country and new financial and military aid.

Johnson announced on Friday that the UK would send additional Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and other “high-grade military equipment” worth $130 million to support the Ukrainian army’s fight against Russia.

The prime minister linked a vicious attack on Kramatorsk train station in eastern Donetsk region, where at least 52 people were killed on Friday by Russian bombing, to his latest pledge of military support to the Kyiv government.

Russia’s attack on the train station “shows the depths to which [Vladimir] Putin’s once-vaunted army has sunk”, Johnson told reporters alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called the Russian strike “atrocious”.

Johnson met the German leader at Downing Street as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy called for a “firm global response” to the missile attack on the station, which was crowded with women, children and the elderly.

Local officials estimate that about 4,000 people were gathered there at the time of the bombing.

Russia’s defence ministry denied responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement the missiles that hit the station were used only by Ukraine’s military and that Russia’s armed forces had no targets assigned in Kramatorsk on Friday.

All statements by the Ukrainian authorities on the attack were “provocations”, the ministry said.

“Stand Up For Ukraine”, a global aid pledging event for Ukrainian refugees, raised $11 billion on Saturday.

Convened by EU officials and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the “Stand Up For Ukraine” campaign raised the money to support internally displaced people and refugees who have fled the country. More than 4.4 million refugees have left Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

The fund-raising event comprised a social media rally on Friday and a pledging conference on Saturday.

U.K. pledges new military assistance for Ukraine after PM's surprise visit to Kyiv

The U.K. is to send 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems to Ukraine, Downing Street announced Saturday, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid an in-person visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy .

Johnson and Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer made separate visits to Zelenskyy on Saturday, the latest in a string of leaders to travel to the country during the ongoing Russian invasion.

A photograph tweeted by Ukraine's Embassy to the U.K. showed Johnson seated opposite Zelenskyy at a table in a pink and green stuccoed room. The post was captioned with the word "Surprise" and a winking face emoji.

The Press Service of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine said on its official Twitter account that the two leaders had held talks in Kyiv, posting several photographs of the pair's previously unannounced meeting.

Johnson posted on Twitter that his visit to Kyiv was "a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine" and announced a new package of financial and military aid.

"Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century," the U.K. PM said in a statement.

He praised Zelenskyy's "resolute leadership" and the "invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people," adding that the U.K. "stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight ... we are in it for the long run."

Following the meeting, Downing Street said the U.K. government would provide armored vehicles and anti-ship missile systems, "in addition to the £100 million worth of high-grade military equipment" announced on Friday.

Zelenskyy and Nehammer's meeting was separate to the one with Johnson and happened earlier on Saturday, according to Zelenskyy's official Telegram channel.

While several other leaders have visited Ukraine in recent weeks, the trip by Nehammer is significant given his country's neutral status, which is enshrined in its constitution .

Austria is not part of NATO and does not supply weapons to Ukraine. It has, however, provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid and helmets and protection vests for civilian use, according to a statement from the Austrian Chancellery.

Nehammer said Saturday that while his country is militarily neutral, "We understand we have to help where injustice and war crimes take place."

According to his office, Nehammer was set to meet with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, before returning to Austria on Saturday evening.

Nehammer was also due to visit the Kyiv suburb of Bucha , which endured five weeks of near-constant firefights; after Russian forces withdrew from the town, the bodies of at least 20 civilians were found lying in one street, some with their hands tied.

Nehammer said Bucha was "a place of war crimes."

"We have to make those war crimes known to the UN, and international justice must begin investigating and fight these crimes," he said during a news conference with Zelenskyy.

The twin visits by Johnson and Nehammer came a day after top European Union officials made a trip to Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell, the bloc's top diplomat, visited Kyiv and Bucha on Friday, alongside Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger.

During the visit, von der Leyen ceremoniously handed Zelenskyy an EU questionnaire to complete -- a symbolic, but important step towards Ukraine's membership of the bloc. Tweeting about the move, von der Leyen said: "We will accelerate this process as much as we can, while ensuring that all conditions are respected."

The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia visited Kyiv last month, at a time when it was still regularly targeted by Russian strikes. Like Johnson's visit on Saturday, that trip was kept secret until the three leaders were in the country, travelling on a train from eastern Ukraine.

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Boris Johnson makes surprise visit to Ukraine amid renewed scrutiny over finances

Boris Johnson said he was "invited" to Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and that he went to show "solidarity" with the war-torn nation.

Political reporter @fayebrownSky

Sunday 22 January 2023 19:52, UK

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Boris Johnson has made a surprise visit to Ukraine amid renewed scrutiny over his personal finances.

The former prime minister said it was a "privilege" to be invited to the war-torn nation by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with whom he had a close working relationship during his time in office.

Downing Street indicated Rishi Sunak was "supportive" of the visit, after claims it could undermine his authority on foreign policy.

Ukraine war latest: Putin ally warns West against weapons deliveries

Mr Johnson was pictured visiting Borodianka near Kyiv - a town heavily damaged by the Russian invasion .

In a statement, Mr Johnson said: "The suffering of the people of Ukraine has gone on for too long.

"The only way to end this war is for Ukraine to win - and to win as fast as possible. This is the moment to double down and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job."

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A spokesperson for Mr Johnson added that he fully supports UK Government policy on Ukraine, including the recent decision to send Challenger 2 tanks.

The ex-prime minister pitched himself as a key ally of Kyiv during his time in Number 10, providing support and calling on Western allies to follow suit in the early days of Russia's invasion last February.

As his scandal-plagued premiership unravelled, Mr Johnson was accused of using trips to Ukraine or phone calls with Mr Zelenskyy as a distraction for crises at home.

This trip comes amid allegations BBC chairman Richard Sharp helped the former prime minister arrange a guarantee for a loan - and that Mr Johnson later recommended Mr Sharp for the role of BBC chair.

Mr Johnson's spokesperson denied the report as "rubbish", but Labour has called for independent investigations to establish the facts behind the "murky affair".

The Guardian reported on Mr Johnson's plans to travel to Ukraine earlier in January.

Read More: Foreign secretary evades questions on latest Boris Johnson 'sleaze' allegations

Senior Tories raised concerns about the trip, with Commons defence select committee chair Tobias Ellwood telling the newspaper that Mr Johnson should "not interfere with the messaging or the official lines of communication" between London and Kyiv.

But Mr Sunak's press secretary said he is "always supportive of all colleagues showing that the UK is behind Ukraine and will continue to support them".

The prime minister has followed in the footsteps of Mr Johnson and Liz Truss in being a vocal supporter of Kyiv.

He visited Ukraine in November, pledging continued British support to the war-torn country in the fight against Moscow's forces.

Earlier this week, Mr Johnson spoke in a panel discussion on Ukraine at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he was introduced as a "legendary figure" in Ukraine.

Mr Sunak, meanwhile, steered clear of the annual gathering in the exclusive Swiss ski resort.

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks the streets of Kyiv in surprise visit to Ukraine

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Boris Johnson praises Ukraine's 'indomitable courage' as Rishi Sunak vows to back Kyiv

Ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson has visited Kyiv as the UK government announced a £250million bid to replenish war-battered Ukraine's reserves as it continues to take on Vladimir Putin's forces

• 10:22, 24 Feb 2024
• Updated 10:54, 24 Feb 2024

Former prime minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky to mark the second anniversary of Russia's invasion.

Sharing an image of himself and the president on Twitter , Mr Johnson wrote: "On this grim second anniversary of Putin's invasion I am honoured to be here in Ukraine . With their indomitable courage I have no doubt that the Ukrainians will win and expel Putin's forces - provided we give them the military, political and economic help that they need".

Mr Johnson is hugely popular in Ukraine after making a number of visits to the war-hammered nation shortly after the invasion. A poll published by the UK peer Lord Ashcroft in June last year gave him a 90 per cent favourable rating among Ukrainians, according to an Atlantic Council report.

Rishi Sunak joined other world leaders in reaffirming support for Ukraine on the second anniversary of Russia ’s invasion, vowing to back Kyiv “until they prevail”. The Prime Minister said “tyranny will never triumph” as President Volodymyr Zelensky ’s troops defend the country against an emboldened Russia.

The UK has pledged to invest £245 million in producing artillery shells for Ukraine and £8.5 million in humanitarian funding as the conflict enters its third year. Saturday marks two years since the Kremlin launched its attack on Ukraine, starting the biggest incursion in a European country since the Second World War.

Mr Sunak, who visited Kyiv last month to sign a new security agreement and announce an increase in military funding for the country, said on Friday: “When (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launched his illegal invasion two years ago, the free world was united in its response. “We stood together behind Ukraine. And on this grim anniversary, we must renew our determination.

“I was in Kyiv just a few weeks ago and I met wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Each harrowing story was a reminder of Ukraine’s courage in the face of terrible suffering.

“It was a reminder of the price they are paying not only to defend their country against a completely unjustified invasion, but also to defend the very principles of freedom, sovereignty and the rule of law on which we all depend.”

He added: “This is the moment to show that tyranny will never triumph and to say once again that we will stand with Ukraine today and tomorrow. We are prepared to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, until they prevail.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer , who hopes to enter Number 10 after the general election this year, said Britain would always support Ukraine “no matter who is in power in this country” and added that Mr Putin’s “cowardice and barbarity” will not prevail.

Sir Keir said: “The resistance of the Ukrainian people has inspired and humbled the world. The UK and our allies will stand in solidarity with them until their day of victory. We will not waver. We will not abandon them. We will not be divided in the face of tyranny or oppression.

“We look together to the day when Ukraine secures justice and liberty in their rightful homeland, when Ukrainians can return home and rebuild their great country, and live peacefully, freely and proudly.”

European countries are struggling to find enough weapons and ammunition to send to Kyiv, and US help worth 60 billion dollars (£47 billon) is stalled over political differences in Washington.

Ukrainian forces withdrew from the strategic eastern city of Avdiivka at the weekend, where they had battled a fierce Russian assault for four months despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned. Kyiv has kept up strikes behind the front line but moved to a defensive posture amid critical shortages on the battlefield.

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Boris Johnson makes second surprise visit to Ukraine

Johnson proposes training program for ukrainian soldiers to continue fight against russia.

Hoffman: Ukrainians are going to keep fighting

Former CIA station chief Daniel Hoffman weighs in after Vladimir Putin said the attacks on Russia's economy have failed.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a second surprise visit to Kyiv Friday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The visit was first announced on the prime minister’s Twitter page and Fox News confirmed the information with Ukrainian authorities .

"Mr. President, Volodymyr, It is good to be in Kyiv again," the post to the prime minister's account said along with a photo of him and Zelenskyy. 

In this image provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pose for a photo during their meeting in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, June 17, 2022.  (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON SURVIVES A NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE, CALLS WIN 'DECISIVE'

Johnson’s office confirmed that the prime minister and Zelenskyy discussed "Ukraine’s valiant fight against Russia" and proposed a training program headed by the U.K. to help thousands of Ukrainian soldiers continue "their heroic defense."

Johnson said Russian forces are "taking heavy casualties" and promised "the strategic endurance that you will need."

The training operation would instruct up to 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen for three weeks every 120 days "using battle-proven British Army expertise."

The program is intended to help Kyiv "accelerate their deployment, rebuild their forces, and scale-up their resistance as they continue to defend their nation’s sovereignty against Russian invaders."

International partners would also be invited to take part in the training program.

"My visit today, in the depths of this war, is to send a clear and simple message to the Ukrainian people: the UK is with you, and we will be with you until you ultimately prevail," he said in a statement Friday. "As Ukrainian soldiers fire UK missiles in defense of your nation’s sovereignty, they do so also in defense of the very freedoms we take for granted."

In this image provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, second left, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, third right, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, June 17, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) ((Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

PSAKI: 'NOT SENDING' BIDEN TO UKRAINE, 'WE SHOULD ALL BE MAYBE RELIEVED ABOUT THAT'

Johnson’s visit comes just one day after French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also traveled to Kyiv.

Ukraine has received widespread support from Western nations following Russia’s illegal invasion in February which has prompted the greatest security threat to Europe since World War II.

Johnson’s first visit in April marked the first of the G7 nations to meet with Zelenskyy in person.

President Biden and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are the only two G7 leaders who have yet to travel to Kyiv.

Fox News could not immediately reach the White House for comment on whether President Biden plans to travel to Ukraine in the future. 

In this image provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, walk after their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, June 17, 2022.  (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

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Following Boris’ first trip to Ukraine in April, then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki firmly stated that the administration had no plans to send Biden to the war-torn country.

"That is not in the plans for the President of the United States," Psaki said. "We should all be maybe relieved about that."

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

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International Edition

Cameron Lobbies Old Adversary Trump to Unlock Ukraine Aid

(Bloomberg) -- British Foreign Secretary David Cameron held a meeting in Florida with Donald Trump, with whom he has clashed in the past over Brexit and NATO, as the UK tries to persuade the presidential candidate’s Republican allies to stop obstructing a commitment to send more US aid to Ukraine.

Their talks late Monday came ahead of Cameron’s trip to Washington to meet Republican lawmakers as well as Biden administration officials. The visit comes at a sensitive time as the UK, France and other nations try to keep the international focus on Ukraine’s battle to repel Russia’s invasion. 

US funding is critical, but a $60 billion aid package has become snarled in politicking ahead of the presidential election in November. House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far declined to call a vote on the funding as he tries to prevent a rebellion from Republican hard-liners who could sink the legislation and even try to oust him as speaker. The Senate has already approved the aid.

Ahead of his trip, Cameron said on X that “Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress.” But asked by reporters in Washington why he isn’t meeting the Louisiana Republican, the foreign secretary replied that he is speaking to senators and congressman on “both sides of the aisle” to make his point that ensuring Ukraine wins is in US interests.

“There will be people in Iran, in Pyongyang, in Beijing looking at how we stand by our allies, how we help them, how we stop this illegal and unprovoked aggression and working out whether we are committed, whether we’re prepared to see it through,” Cameron said at a joint press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “I’m here to offer my opinion, to meet with anyone who wants to talk to me about it, to make those arguments.”

Trump is seen as the key to unlocking the Republican opposition, providing the context for Cameron’s visit. Facing an electoral rematch against President Joe Biden in November, Trump is skeptical about providing military support to Ukraine and has suggested giving loans instead of direct funding.

Yet Cameron was tight-lipped about his talks with Trump, calling it a private meeting and saying only that they discussed “important geopolitical subjects.”

In a statement, Trump’s campaign said the former president and Cameron discussed issues including the “upcoming US and UK elections, policy matters specific to Brexit, the need for NATO countries to meet their defense spending requirements, and ending the killing in Ukraine.”

The UK argues that US aid is vital to Ukraine’s ability to continue to resist Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pleaded for the swift approval of US aid, as his country’s forces wrestle with ammunition shortages and delays in supplies of artillery shells from allies that have left them outgunned against Russia by as much as six to one. 

Cameron has a strained history with Trump — in contrast to the warmer ties enjoyed by his successor and political rival Boris Johnson, who has also lobbied Trump to step up support for Ukraine.

In late 2015, Cameron — who was UK prime minister at the time — called the then presidential candidate’s proposal to ban Muslims entering the US as “divisive, stupid and wrong.” His intervention prompted Trump to speculate he might not have a “very good relationship” with Cameron.

The pair squared off again over Trump’s public backing for the UK to vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum called by Cameron. The Republican candidate’s intervention came as then US President Barack Obama had sided with Cameron’s campaign to remain in the bloc.

Defeat over Brexit cast Cameron into the political wilderness until Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed him foreign secretary last year. In February Cameron criticized Trump again, this time over his suggestion that the US should not protect NATO countries who don’t spend enough on defense.

NATO is “more essential than ever,” Cameron told reporters, adding that Trump’s remarks were not “responsible or sensible.”

Though Cameron’s meeting with Trump raised eyebrows — at least in the British media — due to their background, it is unlikely to hurt the UK’s relationship with the Biden White House. With Britain gearing up for a general election expected later this year, Blinken held talks with opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February.

During the press conference, Cameron also said that the UK will continue to sell arms to Israel following revised advice from the government’s lawyers. “The latest assessment leaves our position on export licenses unchanged,” he said .

Cameron said he would not comment on the legal advice he received. His response comes amid pressure from opposition parties and some members of the UK’s governing Conservatives to outline whether government lawyers judge Israel is breaching international humanitarian law in Gaza in the wake of last week’s Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers, including three Britons. 

(Updates with Cameron comments from fifth paragraph.)

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Putin to blame for UK’s high energy bills, says Johnson on surprise visit to Kyiv

Prime minister says while Britons face higher costs, Ukrainians are ‘paying in their blood’ for Russia’s aggression

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Vladimir Putin is to blame for British people being hit by high energy bills while Ukrainian people are “paying in their blood”, Boris Johnson has said as he made a final visit to Kyiv as prime minister.

In his third visit to the country since Russia invaded in the spring, Johnson urged the international community to “stay the course” in its support for Ukraine. The outgoing prime minister also told the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy , that Ukraine “can and will win the war”.

Comparing the costs of Russia’s war, he said: “If we’re paying in our energy bills for the evils of Vladimir Putin, the people of Ukraine are paying in their blood.”

On Ukraine’s independence day, Johnson announced a further £54m package of support for the country, including unmanned surveillance and missile systems for the armed forces. It includes 850 hand-launched Black Hornet micro-drones and “loitering” munitions to enable Ukraine to better track and target Russian forces.

It is also preparing to give minehunting vehicles to Ukraine to help detect Russian explosives off its coast, and further training of Ukrainian military personnel.

Speaking from Kyiv, Johnson said: “What happens in Ukraine matters to us all, which is why I am here today to deliver the message that the United Kingdom is with you and will be with you for the days and months ahead, and you can and will win.”

Johnson and Zelenskiy held talks on the challenges of the winter ahead for the country. During the visit, the UK prime minister received Ukraine’s highest award that can be bestowed on foreign nationals, known as the order of liberty, for the UK’s staunch support for Ukraine’s freedom.

The UK has committed more than £2.3bn of military and financial aid to Ukraine since the invasion began in February.

Labour also released messages of support for Ukraine on its independence day. David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said his party “stands in full solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their righteous struggle for democracy over dictatorship”. He called on the UK government and new prime minister to have a “laser-like focus on maintaining public support for the Ukrainian people, both in Britain and across the international community.

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“At home, we need to freeze energy bills, insulate homes, and invest in green energy to limit the domestic impact of the conflict, which is exacerbating the cost of living emergency created by 12 years of failed Conservative energy policy,” Lammy said.

“Internationally, Britain needs to secure new diplomatic channels to work with our European partners to wean ourselves off Russia’s gas and to exert maximum pressure on Putin.”

• Boris Johnson
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