British Prime Minister Boris Johnson began a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday with a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the first G7 leader to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24. .
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“Today I met my friend President Zelensky in Kyiv to show our unwavering support for the Ukrainian people,” Boris Johnson tweeted following the meeting.
“We are putting in place new financial and military aid that demonstrates our commitment to his country’s fight once morest Russia’s barbaric campaign,” he added.
On President Zelensky’s Telegram channel, there are several photos of him, wearing a khaki outfit and sneakers, welcoming the British prime minister in a suit and tie outside the presidential headquarters in Kyiv and inside.
“Welcome to Kyiv, my friend! “, he writes.
Mr. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriï Yermak, hailed on Telegram “a rich and constructive discussion”, applauding “the leadership” of Boris Johnson.
An official from Mr. Zelensky’s cabinet had posted a photo on Facebook earlier showing the two leaders chatting, seated around a table, announcing the prime minister’s visit.
“The United Kingdom is the leader in military support for Ukraine, leader of the anti-war coalition, leader of sanctions once morest the Russian aggressor,” wrote Andriï Sybyga, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidency.
Earlier in the day, President Zelensky had received Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Kyiv, whom he thanked for his visit to Kyiv and Boutcha, a town near the capital which has become a symbol of the atrocities of the Russian invasion.
On Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv to show her support for Ukraine.
Accompanied by the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell and Slovak Prime Minister Edouard Heger, Ursula von der Leyen went to Boutcha where she saw the mass graves dug to bury dozens of civilians found dead.
