British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday to discuss Britain’s military aid to kyiv as well as Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s grain exports.
In a statement, Johnson’s spokesman added that the two leaders “had a deep conversation” about Russian aggression in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of eastern Ukraine.
The British leader “highlighted the important new support provided by the Government, including rockets long-range multiple-drop bombs to hit Russian artillery positions used to shell Ukrainian cities,” the same source said.
The British Ministry of Defense revealed on Monday that will send the first long-range missiles to Ukraine after Russia attacked the outskirts of kyiv for the first time since April.
Defense Minister Ben Wallace said an unspecified number of M270 launchers would be deployed, which can fire guided rockets with precision up to 80 kilometers, a greater range than any other missile technology currently in use in warfare.
According to London, the two leaders also discussed diplomatic negotiations and efforts to end the Russian blockade on Ukraine’s grain exports, which is affecting countries in Africa.
In the same statement, the government spokesman said that Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to intensify work with other alliesincluding the leaders of the G7 (the richest countries in the world), to stop Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and support the Ukrainian economy.
The conversation came at a time when Boris Johnson is facing an internal censure motion in the Conservative Party.
The motion of censure against Boris Johnson will be voted on this afternoon. ‘It will end months of speculation,’ says UK PM’s office
Boris Johnson has been seen, in particular by kyiv, as one of the most proactive Western politicians in supporting the Ukrainian authorities and condemning the Russian invasion.
On February 24, Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine that killed more than 4,100 civilians and forced more than 14 million people to flee, according to UN data.
The international organization also indicated that around 15 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and tightening economic and political sanctions on Moscow.
Source: Observadora
