Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged Ukrainians not to worry about the ongoing political dispute surrounding proposed US aid for Ukraine and said that Ukraine will receive everything it needs to defend itself against Russia.
He made his comments at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) special gathering in Kyiv, organized with the support of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
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“Do not worry too much about what you think may happen in world politics, particularly in the United States of America. I think that in the end, the United States, having exhausted all the available alternatives, will do the right thing,” Johnson said.
He expressed his belief that supporting Ukraine stands to benefit any US president “who wants to make America great again,” adding “don't let [Russian President] Vladimir Putin win in Ukraine.
“I remain defiantly optimistic about that,” he said.
Johnson said that during Donald Trump’s presidency, Ukraine received Javelin anti-tank missile systems which proved to be effective in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The former British PM has repeatedly expressed his support for Trump, who could become the next US president and serve a second term.
In a column for the Daily Mail, he wrote that he does not believe Trump will ditch Ukrainians: “Having worked out, as he surely has, that there is no deal to be done with Putin, I reckon there is a good chance that he will double down and finish what he started — by giving [Ukrainians] what they need to win.”
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Johnson again called on the West to grant Ukraine membership in NATO: “I hope very much that at the Washington Summit, NATO will issue an invitation and that we can then begin to accelerate protections under Article 5, even if you can't go the whole way.”
He called on the US to stop arguing against it out of fear of escalating the conflict with Russia.
“[That’s] rubbish. The way to prevent further escalation is to do much more to protect Ukraine and to show that we're serious,” Johnson said.
“The way to long-term stability in the Euro-Atlantic area is to make it clear that Ukraine has chosen her destiny… and it's with NATO and the EU.”
Along with a future for Ukraine in NATO, the former British PM highlighted two further steps that he sees as key to strengthening Ukraine’s position in the war with Russia: 1.) provision of desperately needed ammunition and 2.) transferring to Ukraine $300 billion of Putin's frozen assets.
“I'm not saying that will bring Putin to his knees. Of course, it won't. But it's another part of the pressure,” he said.
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