Ukraine: According to Johnson, the United Kingdom will do more to assist Zelensky

Boris Johnson has assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United Kingdom will do more to assist Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

On Friday morning, the prime minister claimed he spoke with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko by phone.

He pledged to support Ukraine at a moment when its people are “facing such horror with such courage,” he said.

Mr Johnson stated that he informed Mr Zelensky the following: “We recognise that we must do more to assist. We will, I guarantee you.”

He further stated that he informed the president that Ukraine was fighting not just for their lives and homes, but for the cause of democracy and freedom itself.

Mr Johnson was speaking in Aberdeen at the Scottish Conservative conference, telling delegates that the UK had “led the way” in sending arms to Ukraine and placing sanctions on Russia.

Mr Johnson claimed that Russia had fatally miscalculated both the Ukrainians’ will to fight and the strength of the Western alliance.

However, he stressed the importance of the globe weaning itself off Russian oil and gas, calling for a national and international effort to “double down” on the wind, tidal, solar, and nuclear energy.

He called the discussion of shutting down the UK’s domestic oil and gas production “crazy” if it meant buying Russian oil and gas at a “huge mark-up.”

However, he emphasised that the UK remained committed to achieving a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050.

Despite Mr Putin’s “sabre-rattling,” Mr Johnson said it was “amazing” that the SNP still wanted to get rid of the UK’s nuclear weapons.

The prime minister’s statement came barely two months after Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, publicly pushed him to resign over Downing Street parties during the lockdown, claiming his position had become untenable.

Last week, Mr Ross abandoned his request for Mr Johnson to resign, saying that the battle in Ukraine should be the priority right now.

On stage, the two men exchanged handshakes, with the prime minister subsequently praising Mr Ross’s record as the party’s leader in his speech.