UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the West must continue to support Ukraine as they seek to retake areas controlled by Russia, noting that it would be a "catastrophe" if Moscow managed to win.
Speaking on his return to the UK from an unannounced visit to Kyiv, the prime minister warned that Ukraine should not be encouraged to accept a "bad peace" that simply means a prelude to a new Russian offensive, according to the British news agency "PA" today, Saturday.
Johnson defended his decision to pull out of a conference of northern Tories from northern the UK on Friday so he could meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The timing of the visit led to an accusation that he was snubbing the North ahead of a crucial by-election in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, which the Tories are widely expected to lose.
He told reporters at RAF Brize Norton on his return that it was important for the UK to show support at a time when (the Ukrainians) were "suffering terribly" in the face of the ongoing Russian aggression in Donbas.
“It is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul and we are giving them that strategic resilience that they need," Johnson added.
In his talks with Zelenskyy, the British prime minister mentioned that the UK would be ready to train tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops as they continue their fight against Russia.
He highlighted that it was important to prevent the Russians from “freezing” the conflict so they could consolidate their gains before mounting another attack.
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