UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed Zelenskyy’s heroism and promised that the UK will send more defense equipment and arms to Ukraine.
London: Boris Johnson travelled to Kyiv on Ukraine Railways from Poland, he gave a tribute to the “iron people” of Ukraine from his railway carriage. In Kyiv, President Zelenskyy and the PM strode around the empty streets of the capital until they were presented with surprise ceramic cockerels, one of which had survived a Russian bombardment. Zelenskyy wants an immediate end to Europe’s requirement for Russian oil and gas; Johnson pledged more financial and military aid, he said, “£1.5bn at a donor conference from friends, partners around the world, dozens and dozens of countries that now want to support Ukraine.”
In Johnson’s subsequent call with President Biden, he said, “Both leaders were clear that President Putin would never be able to hold down the spirit of the Ukrainian people.”
Johnson called Zelenskyy a hero and the Ukrainain president praised Johnson’s “invincible heroism”. Johnson’s visit eclipsed the visit of Ursula von der Leyen the previous day; von der Leyen offered Zelenskyy an envelope containing a questionnaire, the first step towards EU membership, she said the EU would be at his disposal 7 days a week to work towards this. Johnson’s visit might have inspired the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer to meet Denys Schmyal Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Ireland Foreign and Defence Minister Simon Coveney to meet with Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mylos Vystrcil President of the Senate of the Czech Republic visited Kyiv, Bucha and Irpin; and in a demo of solidarity this week the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia travelled to Ukraine to witness the so-called war crimes in Borodyanka.
Meanwhile, some are remembering the Cuban Missile Crisis and JFK’s Commencement Address at American University Washington on June 10, 1963: “Above all, while defending our own (USA) vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war.”
The Kyiv visit has been a public relations boost for Johnson, uniting MPs behind his premiership in the face of the ongoing backlash of ‘Partygate’; most people agree to change PM mid-crisis in Ukraine is not a good idea, especially now no one has a good idea who would replace Johnson.
The PM and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have both been fined by the Metropolitan Police for being at a party during the lockdown, both delivered sincere apologies and hope to put this episode behind them; but the NHS have been super critical and vocal about the hypocrisy of and rule-breaking of the elite. Rishi Sunak still faces an anonymous onslaught about his family’s private affairs, Johnson has given Sunak his unconditional support. Lord David Wolfson, a Justice Minister, has resigned over “the repeated rule-breaking and breaches of the criminal law, in Downing Street.” In his resignation letter to the PM he referred to others being fined or prosecuted for more trivial offences.
MP Imran Ahmad Khan has resigned from the Conservative Party and his constituency of Wakefield after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15year old boy. The resulting by-election will reveal whether the discontent about the rising cost of living and levelling-up stasis, amongst the red wall MP’s who lent Johnson their vote in 2019, is rumour or real.
Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel have announced their £120 million scheme to send Channel crossing illegal migrants to Rwanda. No longer will people who arrive on UK shores be taken to comfortable hotels at public expense, they will be housed in accommodation centres like those in Greece. The Royal Navy will take over operational command from Border Force in the Channel and will send a clear message to people smugglers that they will go to prison. President Paul Kagame is an iron man of Africa and is willing to host UK’s migrants, known to be a brilliant tactician and political strategist, who helped to end the 1994 genocide, this will further raise Kagame’s profile in Africa and the West. Johnson said “Rwanda will have the capacity to resettle tens of thousands of people in the years ahead. And let’s be clear, Rwanda is one of the safest countries in the world, globally recognised for its record on welcoming and integrating migrants.”
Rwanda has hosted refugees from a few neighbouring countries, also refugees, and asylum seekers from Libya, and Afghanistan and giving nationality to deported stateless people. Priti Patel said, “Rwanda has one of the strongest records of refugee resettlement and in recent years has resettled over 100,000 refugees.”
Like Johnson, Kagame is also an environmentalist and conservationist, committed to attracting green initiatives to Rwanda. Towards the end of 2021, Johnston Busingye was appointed as Rwanda’s High Commissioner to the UK.
Although Rwanda has many benefits and attractions, they might not be exactly what Channel migrants are hoping for, in France migrants see the UK welcoming Ukrainians into their homes; there is speculation that migrants will prefer to stop off in one of the countries in Europe on the way rather than risk being deported to Rwanda.