Boris Johnson echoes Churchill in address to Ukraine parliament

Boris Johnson hailed Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion as the besieged country’s “finest hour” in an address to its parliament earlier today.

Speaking to lawmakers in Kyiv, Johnson set out details of £300m of extra military support, including “electronic warfare equipment, a counter-battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night vision devices”, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

In the first address to the Verkhovna Rada by a western leader since the conflict began more than two months ago, Johnson echoed the words of wartime PM Winston Churchill “just as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did when he addressed MPs at Westminster in March”, said the BBC.

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“With Union flags on show as the PM spoke by video link, he channelled Winston Churchill urging the country to keep resisting the Russian invaders,” agreed the Daily Mail.

Johnson declared: “The so-called irresistible force of Putin’s war machine has broken on the immovable object of Ukrainian patriotism and love of country. This is Ukraine’s finest hour, that will be remembered and recounted for generations to come.”

The timing of the expected announcement of additional aid to Ukraine, just days ahead of the UK local elections, has been described as “deeply cynical”, said Sky News.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said the PM’s arms pledge was the “right decision, but wrong timing”, and that the weapons were “desperately needed” a week ago. She added: “Is it possible that Boris Johnson delayed this move to announce it in a difficult election week?”