(London) Ukraine’s allies must support Kyiv firmly and for a long time if they do not want to see “aggression” triumph in Europe as never since the Second World War, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday.
Posted at 4:22 p.m.
Countries supporting Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion must keep their cool and ensure that Kyiv will have “the strategic stamina to survive and ultimately win”, he wrote in an op-ed published by the Sunday Times.
Mr. Johnson made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital on Friday, the day after that of the French, German and Italian leaders, who expressed their support for Kyiv’s candidacy for the European Union.
There, the British Prime Minister offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky increased British military aid to help his troops fight Russian forces.
“Time is a crucial factor today,” said Mr. Johnson in a long column posted Saturday evening on the newspaper’s website.
“It will all depend on how Ukraine can build up its ability to defend its territory faster than Russia can renew its attack capabilities. Our task is to give time to the Ukrainian side,” he said.
To help, he outlines a four-point plan for “continued funding and technical assistance” to Kyiv, which he says must be maintained “for years to come,” and potentially scaled up.
Mr Johnson has previously warned that the conflict could last until the end of next year, as Ukrainian officials continue to ask NATO for more military and logistical support.
After failing to take Kyiv in the wake of the invasion launched on February 24, Russian troops are concentrating their offensives in the south and east.
While the West has adopted a series of unprecedented economic sanctions against Russian companies and personalities close to the Kremlin, many countries fear that a persistence of the conflict will exacerbate global economic difficulties, including inflation and shortages.
Despite inflation not seen in 40 years and soaring fuel prices in the UK, Mr Johnson stressed that economic concerns should not lead to a rushed settlement of the conflict.
Allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to keep the conquered territories in Ukraine would not contribute to a more peaceful world, according to him.
On the contrary, “such a masquerade would be the greatest victory for aggression in Europe since the Second World War”, he believes.