Johnson meets Zelenskiy, pledges more aid

Bloomberg

Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a previously unannounced trip to Kyiv, pledging additional military aid and other support.
Zelenskiy after the meeting hailed Johnson as “one of the most principled opponents of the Russian invasion” and said he expects the UK will play a “key role” in security guarantees for Ukraine. The pair walked through the centre of Kyiv.
Johnson praised Zelenskiy’s leadership and the heroism of the people of Ukraine throughout Russia’s invasion, now into its seventh week. He termed the killing of civilians in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv, as “war crimes.”
“Together with friends and partners, we — the UK and others — supply the equipment, the technology, the knowhow, the intelligence, so that Ukraine will never be invaded again,” Johnson said. “So that Ukraine is so fortified and so protected that Ukraine can never be bullied again, never be blackmailed again, never be threatened.”
Johnson laid out fresh assistance of 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile
systems in advance of what’s likely to be a crucial battle in Ukraine’s east over the coming weeks. That’s on top of 100 million pounds ($130 million) in high-grade military equipment announced, including Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles and high-tech munitions for precision strikes.
We’re setting out a new package of financial & military aid which is a testament of our commitment to his country’s struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign.
The UK, at the request of Kyiv, has liberalised tariffs on most imports from Ukraine as part of a commitment to economic stability, Johnson’s office said in a statement. The UK will also guarantee another $500 million in World Bank lending to Ukraine, and has pledged to help Ukraine with de-mining when hostilities end.
Johnson’s visit comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelked to Kyiv and Bucha with other senior EU officials. Slovak PM Eduard Heger was also part of that group; Austria’s chancellor visited Kyiv.