Boris Johnson makes surprise Kyiv visit, warns against ‘Ukraine fatigue’
- The British PM pledged to train Ukrainian soldiers to use new military equipment with a programme that could ‘change the equation of this war’
- The latest embrace of Ukraine by European allies marks another setback for Putin, who hoped invasion would pull country away from the West
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday and offered training for Ukrainian forces, on Saturday stressed the need to keep supporting the country and avoid “Ukraine fatigue” after nearly four months of war.
“The Russians are grinding forward inch by inch and it is vital for us to show what we know to be true, which is that Ukraine can win and will win,” Johnson told reporters on his arrival back in Britain.
“When Ukraine fatigue is setting in, it is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul,” he said.
On Friday in Kyiv he said “all the evidence” points to Russian forces “taking heavy casualties” in their ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Johnson also promised continued military aid and training on new military equipment. He did not detail the equipment.
“We are with you to give you the strategic endurance that you will need,” he said.
His trip came as the European Union’s executive arm on Friday recommended putting Ukraine on a path to membership, a symbolic boost for a country fending off a Russian onslaught that is killing civilians, flattening cities and threatening its very survival.
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The possibility of membership in a union created to safeguard peace on the continent and serve as a model for the rule of law and prosperity fulfils a wish of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Western-looking citizens.
Johnson came with a pledge by Britain to lead a programme that the UK said could train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days in an unspecified location outside the country.
The government said “international partners would be invited to host” the programme, which Johnson said could “change the equation of this war”. Ukraine has been taking heavy casualties in the battle for the country’s eastern industrial heartland.
The latest embrace of Ukraine by its European allies also marks another setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched his war nearly four months ago, hoping to pull his ex-Soviet neighbour away from the West and back into Russia’s sphere of influence.
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Johnson’s trip followed one by the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Romania, who vowed in Kyiv a day earlier to support Ukraine’s fight without asking it to make any territorial concessions to Russia.
“Two months on from my last visit, the Ukrainian grit, determination and resilience is stronger than ever, and I know that unbreakable resolve will long outlive the vain ambitions of President Putin,” Johnson said.
Zelensky welcomed the visit, saying on Telegram, “We have a common view of the movement towards Ukraine’s victory. I’m grateful for a powerful support!”
At Russia’s showpiece economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday, Putin reprised his usual defence of Russia’s war in Ukraine. He has alleged the invasion was necessary to protect people in parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed rebels and to ensure Russia’s own security.
The European Commission’s recommendation that Ukraine become a candidate for membership will be discussed by leaders of the 27-nation bloc during a summit next week in Brussels.
The war has increased pressure on EU governments to fast track Ukraine’s candidate status. But the process is expected to take years, and EU members remain divided over how quickly and fully to open their arms to new members.
Political and military support for Ukraine from Western countries has been key to its surprising success in the face of larger and better-equipped Russian forces.
Zelensky has also clamoured for additional immediate support in the form of more and better weapons to turn the tide in the east, known as the Donbas region.
Additional reporting by Reuters
