Boris Johnson's Ukraine visit gets UK PM Rishi Sunak's nod: Report

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was recently spotted on a visit to Ukraine, where he was photographed walking through Borodyanka, a village that was destroyed in the early stages of Russia's invasion of the country. He also travelled to Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, where the bodies of civilians were found last year, many with bound hands and gunshot wounds at close range, as per a report from The Guardian. Johnson was awarded an honorary ‘Citizen of Kyiv’ medal from the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last week. He has been treated as a hero by many Ukrainians due to his support after Russian troops invaded the country in February 2022.

During his visit, Johnson also weighed in on the ongoing debate over whether Ukraine should receive more tanks to fight back against Russian forces. In a statement, he hinted at his support for more tanks to be sent to Kyiv, saying, “This is the moment to double down and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job." Johnson also said, “It is a privilege to visit Ukraine at the invitation of President Zelenskyy. 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 … The sooner Putin fails, the better for Ukraine and for the whole world."

Zelenskyy welcomed Johnson, even though Johnson is no longer PM

Johnson was invited to Ukraine by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine. There are already concerns that his visit could undermine the current UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's authority on foreign policy. However, according to a report from the Metro, Downing Street has indicated that the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is supportive of Johnson's trip and any colleague who demonstrates ‘the UK is behind Ukraine’. Although an unofficial trip, Boris Johnson, who no longer represents the UK in an official capacity, was welcomed by Ukraine's president Zelenskyy. Videos on social media depict Johnson being surprised to find that the Ukrainian president is waiting to welcome him.

"You shouldn’t have bothered, oh dear, I’m too honoured!” he said. Since the invasion, Johnson has developed a genuine affection in the mind of Ukrainians. There are cakes and streets in Ukraine that are named after him. His early forthright speech played a key role in this, which made many Ukrainians feel that he cares about the suffering of Ukraine. When Boris Johnson resigned from the PM post, Zelenskyy said that "we all heard this news with sadness." He added that it doesn't matter if Boris Johnson is PM or not, everyone still loves Boris in Ukraine.