UK’s Boris Johnson meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv, promises more military, financial aid – POLITICO

A No. 10 spokesperson later confirmed the trip. “The Prime Minister has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelenskyy in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” the spokesperson said.

Johnson later tweeted: “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.”

Later on Saturday, Downing Street said the U.K. was offering 120 “armoured vehicles” and a new “anti-ship missile systems” to Ukraine. The U.K. government had already announced on Friday it would also be sending £100 million of military equipment, including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles,  helmets, night-vision devices and body armor.

Johnson had said on Friday the West would not be able to meet all of the weaponry requests submitted by Ukraine, because it “wouldn’t be appropriate” to supply some of that equipment to Kyiv. Asked if Britain would send its own tanks and armored vehicles to Kyiv, Johnson replied: “I’m in principle willing to consider anything by way of defensive weaponry to help the Ukrainians protect themselves and their people,” but said it “ important that we should be giving equipment that is genuinely useful and is operable by Ukrainians, that’s our consideration.”

Johnson on Saturday “reiterated that the UK will do everything in its power to support Ukraine’s brave fight against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion and ensure its long term security and prosperity,” Downing Street said in the statement, adding the pair had “in-depth discussions” on military and economic assistance.

The U.K. will guarantee an extra $500 million in World Bank lending to Ukraine if the U.K. parliament agrees, taking the total loan guarantee to up to $1 billion. The U.K. is also “liberalising tariffs on the vast majority of imports from Ukraine “and easing customs, Downing Street said.  

“Ukraine has defied the odds and  pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21^st century,” Johnson said.  “I made clear today that the United Kingdom stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight, and we are in it for the long run.”

Johnson’s trip comes one day after the EU’s top executives, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, visited Kyiv and met with Zelenskyy. Von der Leyen also visited Bucha, a town just outside Kyiv where mass killings and atrocities were uncovered last week, provoking a new round of sanctions by the West. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also visited Kyiv on Saturday.

Zelenskyy and Johnson have spoken on the phone since the beginning of the war, and Zelenskyy has praised Johnson’s support on numerous occasions, saying “he is a leader who is helping more” than some of his European counterparts. Oliver Dowden, the chair of the Conservative Party, previously said on March 21 that Johnson is “desperate” to go to Ukraine.

This article has been updated.