Boris Johnson paid an unexpected visit to Kyiv today, promising to support Volodymyr Zelensky in his fight against Russia.
Following a day of uncertainty about his whereabouts, the Prime Minister has arrived in Kiev for the second time since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
Mr Johnson was scheduled to speak at a conference in Doncaster today hosted by the Northern Research Group of Red Wall Tory MPs.
He was also set to campaign in Wakefield ahead of next week’s important by-election. After a tumultuous period in which Mr Johnson was punished for Partygate and his ethics adviser resigned, the Conservatives feel they are condemned to lose the seat to Labour.
However, he unexpectedly dropped out of the event yesterday night, infuriating MPs by failing to provide an explanation.
‘Mr President, Volodymyr, It is lovely to be in Kyiv again,’ Mr Johnson wrote in a tweet greeting the Ukrainian president this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Carrie was seen having fun at Ascot today, but the PM was nowhere to be seen.
Mr Johnson was the first Western leader to visit Kyiv in April, with the plans made in complete secrecy. He has built a strong ‘bromance’ with Mr Zelensky, with whom he speaks on the phone on a daily basis.
The visit comes after Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Mario Draghi visited Kyiv the day before.
The French, German, and Italian premiers arrived by train in the country before meeting with Mr Zelensky and seeing the Irpin suburbs to observe firsthand the damage wreaked by Putin’s army and evidence of war crimes.
Mr Macron condemned the assaults as “barbaric” and commended the citizens of Irpin and others in the region for their bravery in helping to prevent Russia’s effort to take over the capital.
At a joint news conference, however, there was an uncomfortable attempt to draw the Ukrainian leader into an embrace, and photographs of the pair shaking hands earlier in the event appeared equally one-sided.
Mr Zelensky has publicly accused Mr Macron of making excuses for Putin, with whom the French president had previously enjoyed a close connection, and has chastised his administration for failing to provide sufficient weaponry and assistance to Ukraine’s military effort.
His demeanor towards Mr Macron contrasts sharply with the warmth and excitement with which he has received US and UK leaders, notably Mr Johnson.
The EU today approved Ukraine and its neighbor Moldova as formal candidates to join the bloc, with EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen donning blue and yellow to announce the decision.
The move signals a historic eastward shift in Europe’s view, precipitated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which destroyed Europe’s peace and transformed leaders’ perceptions.
In February, Ukraine sought to join the EU barely four days after Russian forces crossed its border. Moldova and Georgia, two other ex-Soviet governments battling separatist territories seized by Russian forces, followed suit four days later.
‘Ukraine has clearly proved the country’s aim and commitment to live up to European ideals and norms,’ said Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s executive Commission head in Brussels.
She made the statement at a news conference on Friday, wearing a yellow jacket over a blue blouse in Ukrainian colors. She claimed that Ukrainians were “ready to die” for the “European ideal.”