UK PM in Ukraine: Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv: Know in 10 Points

UK PM in Kyiv: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson flew to Ukraine's embattled capital city Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an unannounced visit on April 9, 2022. This is the first visit by a major foreign head of state to Ukraine after Russia's invasion. 

The UK Prime Minister traveled to Kyiv in Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia to meet President Zelensky in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

He tweeted saying, "Today I met my friend President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine." Johnson announced a new package of financial and military aid as a testament to their commitment to Ukraine's struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign. The aid reportedly includes £100 million of military aid and more missiles including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion.

President @ZelenskyyUa has given the roar of that lion.

The UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine.

Slava Ukraini 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/u6vGYqmK4V

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 9, 2022

UK PM Boris Johnson in Kyiv: Know All About the Visit in 10 Points

1. The UK PM's visit to Ukraine was first announced by the Ukrainian Embassy in the UK with a picture of the two leaders meeting with a caption that read 'Surprise'.

2. UK PM himself tweeted that he met President Zelenskyy as a show of the UK's unwavering support for the people of Ukraine.

3. The Ukrainian President accompanied the UK Prime Minister on a walk through the streets of Kyiv. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walk through the streets of Kyiv in Ukraine.

(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/OuYG4YZpPY

— ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2022

4. Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom will be sending additional anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles and other high-level military equipment to support the Ukrainian Army's fight against Russia.

5. The United Kingdom will also provide additional financial aid to Ukraine. 

6. The United Kingdom is also expected to send around 120 armoured vehicles to 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," says British PM Boris Johnson after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv amid #RussiaUkraineConflict pic.twitter.com/4Sx4fK6sza

— ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2022

7. The UK PM also praised Zelenskyy's resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people.

8. The Ukrainian President expressed his gratitude for the UK Prime Minister's visit, calling it very important during very difficult and turbulent times for their country. He said that the leadership of Great Britain in providing his country help in defence will also be in history. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Володимир Зеленський (@zelenskiy_official)

9. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to the Ukrainian Capital follows visits to Kyiv by European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. 

10. The visits come after Ukrainian forces were successful in pushing Russian troops out from the towns surrounding the capital. 

Background

The UK PM had held a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier on April 9th at Downing Street and said that they shared “the same sense of horror and revulsion” at the attack on a railway station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, adding that it “shows the depths to which Putin’s once-vaunted army had sunk”.

The two leaders accused Russian President Putin of war crimes saying, "Britain and Germany are horrified by Putin’s invasion and have agreed that our two countries must go further to help Ukraine."

He had announced that the UK will send more defensive weapons to Ukraine and will work with G7 partners to target every pillar of the Russian economy to ensure Putin fails.