Ukraine says Britain’s support to continue after Johnson’s resignation

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine expects Britain’s support to continue despite the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said, thanking Johnson for defending Ukraine’s interests after Russia’s invasion.

“We all heard this news (of Johnson’s resignation) with sadness. Not only me, but also the entire Ukrainian society, which is very sympathetic to you,” Zelenskiy’s office said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by phone.

“We have no doubt that Great Britain’s support will be preserved, but your personal leadership and charisma made it special.”

Johnson twice visited Kyiv after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described him as a “true friend of Ukraine” in comments sent to Reuters by his ministry.

“He (Johnson) was among the first world leaders who not only unequivocally condemned Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, but also took a number of crucial decisions to help Ukraine defend itself and ultimately win this war in the future,” Kuleba said.

(Reporting by Max Hunder, Writing by Alexander Winning and Aleksandar Vasovic, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Bernadette Baum)