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.