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Boris Johnson met Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a surprise visit to Kyiv on Sunday, sparking concerns that the former prime minister could undermine Rishi Sunak’s authority on foreign policy.
Johnson made an unannounced visit to Borodyanka and Bucha, two suburbs in which Russian forces committed war crimes during their unsuccessful assaulton the capital last March.
Videos posted on social media showed him visiting a church in Bucha, accompanied by a police escort.
Johnson later met Zelenskyy and several ministers at the presidential administration in central Kyiv.
In a video released by Zelenksyy’s office, Johnson told the president the destruction he had seen on Sunday morning was “appalling”, adding: “It’s still going on every day. I will do whatever I can.”
The pair were then shown sitting opposite one another in a conference room. Zelenskyy thanked Johnson for British support, and the former prime minister said he wanted to share “some ideas I had”.
Johnson was invited to visit Ukraine by Mr Zelenskyy, a spokesman said. Sources in Kyiv told the Telegraph the visit was not announced in advance or arranged via the British embassy, as a formal visit by a serving minister would have been. He is expected to leave the country later on Sunday.
A Ukrainian official source called it a “neither official nor private” visit.
Johnson said on Sunday: “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.”
Johnson and Zelenskyy met twice and spoke frequently during the former’s term in office. They have described one another as friends.
It was not clear whether Johnson, an MP but no longer a member of the Government, was carrying a message from the Government.
Sunak visited Kyiv to speak with Zelenskyy in November, shortly after taking office. He used the trip to reaffirm British commitment to backing Ukraine’s war effort.
Some senior Tories cautioned before Johnson’s trip that he should be careful not to undermine Sunak’s relationship with Zelenskyy.
However, Downing Street said Sunak was “supportive” of the visit, with the Prime Minister’s press secretary saying he was “always supportive of all colleagues showing that the UK is behind Ukraine and will continue to support them”.
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on January 22, 2023. Photo / Getty Images
Johnson was one of the first foreign leaders to visit Ukraine following the invasion, arriving in Kyiv in April shortly after the Russians had been forced back from the city. He made a second trip in August to mark Ukrainian independence day.
He championed Western military support early in the war and also spoke frequently on the phone with Zelenskyy. Towards the end of his premiership, he faced accusations of using those calls to deflect attention from escalating domestic scandals.
He has not visited Ukraine since being ousted as prime minister last year.
During a panel in Davos, he signalled his backing for new laws to seize and sell sanctioned Russian assets, even though Sunak’s Government has indicated that it is unlikely to be forthcoming with such legislation.
Last week, it emerged Johnson had signed a deal with the publisher HarperCollins to write a book about his time as prime minister. He is also planning to stand again in his constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip at the next general election.
