More defensive aid for Ukraine after PM’s visit
BORIS Johnson has said the West will supply Ukraine with the equipment it needs to ensure it can never again be invaded by Russia, after holding surprise talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv at the weekend.
Following the Prime Minister’s unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital on Saturday, Downing Street said Britain would be sending 120 armoured vehicles as well as new anti-ship missile systems.
Appearing alongside Mr Zelensky in a recorded broadcast clip, Mr Johnson said the West would continue to “ratchet up” sanctions on Moscow as he praised the courage of the Ukrainian resistance.
“I think that the Ukrainians have shown the courage of a lion, and you, Volodymyr, have given the roar of that lion,” he said.
“The UK and others [will] supply the equipment, the technology, the know-how, the intelligence, so that Ukraine will never be invaded again.
“So Ukraine is so fortified and protected – that Ukraine can never be bullied again. Never be blackmailed again. Never be threatened in the same way again.”
The latest support package represents a significant stepping up of UK military assistance to Ukraine.
It comes just a day after Mr Johnson announced a further £100 million worth of kit for Kyiv, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry and so-called “suicide drones”, which loiter over the battlefield before attacking their targets.
The inclusion of the anti-ship missile systems came as British military intelligence said Russian naval forces were continuing to launch cruise missile strikes in support of ground operations in the region.
It follows an urgent appeal by the Ukrainians for more weapons – including armoured vehicles – ahead of an expected Russian offensive on the eastern Donbas region, already part held by pro-Moscow separatists.
Mr Johnson said that while Russian forces attacking Kyiv had suffered a defeat, their withdrawal was “tactical” as they prepared to refocus their military efforts on the east.
He strongly condemned the “war crimes” being uncovered in the wake of their departure, with scores bodies of civilians who have been shot and killed being reported by the Ukrainian authorities.
“I think what Putin has done in places like Bucha and Irpin, his war crimes have permanently polluted his reputation and the reputation of his government,” he said.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the retreating Russian troops had left behind evidence of the “disproportionate targeting of non-combatants”. In its latest intelligence assessment, the MoD said this included “the presence of mass graves, the fatal use of hostages as human shields, and mining of civilian infrastructure”.
Mr Zelensky welcomed the UK’s “decisive and significant support” for his country as he urged other Western allies to intensify the pressure on Moscow.
“We have to exert pressure in the form of sanctions,” he said. “It is time to impose a complete embargo on Russian energy resources.”