LONDON — Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, on Friday paid a second, shock, go to to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, providing a coaching program for the nation’s army in a recent present of assist for Ukraine’s authorities only a day after key European leaders made an identical journey.
Through the go to, Mr. Johnson promised a brand new bundle of assist with the potential to coach as much as 10,000 troopers each 120 days and to supply the “strategic endurance” required to drive out Russian forces.
Britain has already offered intensive army assist to Ukraine. At a information convention, Mr. Johnson mentioned that Britain would assist the Ukrainian army “to do what I imagine Ukrainians yearn to do and that’s to expel the aggressor from Ukraine.”
Mr. Johnson mentioned that every Ukrainian soldier would spend three weeks on a course that would offer coaching in frontline battle abilities, medical strategies, cybersecurity and techniques for countering explosives.
The 2 leaders additionally mentioned how Britain may assist to finish a Russian naval blockade that’s stopping the export of grain, Downing Avenue mentioned, with out offering any additional particulars. There was hypothesis that Britain may present ships, although up to now the federal government says it has taken no selections.
Having lately survived a no-confidence vote amongst his personal lawmakers, Mr. Johnson may hope {that a} go to to Kyiv may enhance his personal reputation after extra dangerous information headlines this week.
Mr. Johnson, who has been one of many world’s most voluble supporters of the Ukrainian authorities, has cultivated sturdy ties with the nation’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and visited in April.
Though not the primary international chief to make the journey to Ukraine after the Russian invasion, he was among the many earliest, and was given a heat reception in Kyiv on a visit that was seen as a diplomatic success.
Mr. Johnson’s authorities has provided weapons in addition to diplomatic assist to Ukraine, and has been singled out by the Russian authorities as being hostile to Moscow. Inside Ukraine, the prime minister’s unflagging assist for the warfare effort has made him one thing of a people hero in distinction to his place at house, the place he has been preventing for political survival. (A avenue in Odesa and a particular pastry in Kyiv have been named after him.)
Mr. Johnson’s go to follows that of President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy. They provided their assist for Ukraine to turn out to be a candidate for European Union membership, a difficulty that shall be thought-about by the 27 leaders of the bloc subsequent week. Referring to a choice by the European Fee on Friday to suggest approval of that step, Mr. Zelensky described it as a “historic second” for his nation.
Britain has left the European Union, so its help to Mr. Zelensky is extra centered on supplying weaponry and different assist.
Although Mr. Johnson’s go to was a shock, rumors started to unfold when he unexpectedly canceled a probably extra fraught talking engagement with a few of his personal lawmakers — a big minority of whom final week tried unsuccessfully to oust him — with out giving a cause.
