Boris Johnson makes second surprise visit to Kyiv since Russian invasion

The prime minister and the president during Boris Johnson’s first war-time visit. Picture: Ukrainian Government/PA

Boris Johnson has made a surprise visit to Kyiv to hold face-to-face talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The trip to the Ukrainian capital on Friday is the British prime minister’s second since Russia began its invasion in February.

A message on Mr Zelenskyy’s Telegram account read: “Many days of this war have proved that Great Britain’s support for Ukraine is firm and resolute.

“Glad to see our country’s great friend Boris Johnson in Kyiv again.” 

Video from the Ukrainian government showed Mr Zelenskyy warmly greeting Mr Johnson with a “hi, Boris” as he arrived at the presidential palace.

Mr Johnson tweeted a picture of himself with Mr Zelenskyy, adding: “Mr President, Volodymyr, it is good to be in Kyiv again.”

He pulled out of an expected appearance in Doncaster for a conference of northern Tory MPs to dash to Ukraine.

The visit came a day after Mr Zelenskyy was visited by French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz and Italy’s Mario Draghi as Ukraine makes a bid to join the EU.

Mr Johnson’s first war-time visit to Kyiv came in April, as Russian President Vladimir Putin shifted the focus of his depleted troops to the eastern Donbas region.

That has become a protracted battle and Mr Zelenskyy has been pressing allies to supply further, and more sophisticated, weaponry.