Ex-UK PM Boris Johnson visits Bucha & Borodianka as he meets Zelenskyy in war-hit Ukraine

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed up unannounced in the Ukrainian suburbs of Borodyanka and Bucha on the morning of Sunday and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Sources who spoke to The Telegraph said that the British embassy neither announced the visit nor arranged it like it usually does in the case of a formal visit by a minister.

Nonetheless, Johnson was spotted visiting a church in Bucha and met Zelenskyy in what critics have called a major jibe at incumbent British premier Rishi Sunak's influence over foreign policy. A Ukrainian official source said that the visit by Johnson, who is not a member of the British government but merely a serving MP, is "neither official nor private." 

However, this isn’t the first time that the ex-PM has flown to Ukraine to express support as the country gets battered by Russian attacks. Last year in April, Johnson became one of the first leaders to visit Kyiv after the war broke out. His second trip came in August, when he observed Ukrainian independence day.

Ukraine's great friend Boris Johnson has arrived in #Bucha. The details of his visit are not yet known. The former British prime minister now holds no official position and may have arrived on a private visit. pic.twitter.com/Az2dvVQhIZ

— Dénes Törteli 🇪🇺🇭🇺🇺🇦 (@DenesTorteli)

🇬🇧 Boris Johnson อดีตนายกฯสหราชอาณาจักร ถูกพบใน Bucha และ Borodyanka ภูมิภาค Kyiv💙💛#ยูเครน #รัสเซียยูเครน #RussiaUkraine #รัสเซีย #StopPutinNow #Ukraine #ยูเครนรัสเซีย #StopWarInUkraine #StopRussia #Україна #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/Skn4bnr8BW

— Peachpink V.2 🍑🇺🇦 /ทวิตหลักโดนระงับ (@yugbambaby2)

Johnson meets Zelenskyy

Both the leaders met in presence of several ministers at the presidential administration in central Kyiv. 

In a video released by Zelenskyy's office as per Telegraph, the former UK PM told the president the destruction he had seen in the morning was "appalling." "It's still going on every day. I will do whatever I can," he told the president.  Later, Zelenskyy thanked Johnson for British support. 

After meeting the Ukrainian leader, Johnson 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. "This is the moment to double down, and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job. The sooner Putin fails, the better for Ukraine and for the whole world.”

President Zelenskyy: "I welcome Boris Johnson, a true friend of Ukraine, to Kyiv. Boris thanks for your support!" Source: Official Zelenskyy pic.twitter.com/ViX8525ZHZ

— Dénes Törteli 🇪🇺🇭🇺🇺🇦 (@DenesTorteli)

Johnson and Zelenskyy's cordial ties 

“What this war is certainly producing is a clarity about a vision for the future of Ukraine, where together with friends and partners, we, the U.K., and others, supply the equipment, the technology, the know-how, the intelligence, so that Ukraine will never be invaded again — so that Ukraine is so fortified and so protected that Ukraine can never be bullied again, never be blackmailed again, never be threatened in the same way again,” Johnson had said at a news conference alongside Zelenskyy in April 2022, according to The Washington Post.

After Johnson’s visit, Zelenskyy had urged Western leaders to “follow the example of the United Kingdom.” The Ukrainian President has often sung praises of the former Tory leader. Expressing gratitude to Johnson for the visit, Zelenskyy had said: “You came here, and we are especially grateful that this happened — this is a true reflection of the decisive and significant support to Ukraine from the United Kingdom, and we always are grateful for that, we shall always remember that.”