Zelenskyy says Boris Johnson is Ukraine's friend & must not disappear after stepping down

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Boris Johnson is a "great friend" of his nation and should not "disappear" after standing down as prime minister of the United Kingdom. He expressed his desire for the outgoing UK prime minister to remain "somewhere in politics in a position to be someone" during an interview with TalkTV.

On July 26, Johnson awarded the Ukrainian President with the Sir Winston Churchill Leadership Award. Boris Johnson is scheduled to resign on September 6. This will come following the announcement of his replacement on September 5, after Conservative Party members voted for a new leader. The UK has placed sanctions on Russian targets and is one of the top suppliers of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Johnson has visited Ukraine multiple times since Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the assault on February 24. The Sir Winston Churchill Leadership Award honours "exceptional leadership by individuals," and the UK PM gave it to Zelenskyy during a Downing Street event via video link. Former honorees include the Prince of Wales, former UK PMs Sir John Major and Baroness Thatcher, the former US secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and James Baker.

Johnson is a big friend of Ukraine: Zelenskyy

"I have no right to play in politics inside the UK. What I can say (Johnson) is a big friend of Ukraine. I want him to be somewhere in politics in a position to be someone. I don't want him to disappear, but the decision is in the hands of the British people. But I am sure that whatever position he is going to take, he is always going to be with Ukraine. This is from the heart, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Talk TV.

When asked what he would say to either Truss or Sunak as prime minister, he responded that he would be "glad to cooperate" with both, as he has done with Boris. The two candidates, according to Zelenskyy, "are very respectable and have the backing of the people and society in the UK."

Less than three years after winning the 2019 general election by a landslide, Johnson announced his resignation as prime minister on July 7. Numerous people have called for his resignation after months of criticism about events like parties at Downing Street amid Covid lockdowns and other problems, including some of his own MPs.

Image: AP