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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Torcuil Crichton

Boris Johnson in one last visit to Kyiv as parties unite in support of Ukraine

Boris Johnson has turned up in Kyiv on Ukraine’s independence day to declare that the country “can and will” win the war with Russia.

The country is celebrating 31 years since it declared independence from the Soviet Union and also six months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started.

Before meeting with president Volodymyr Zelensky Johnson shared a photograph of himself alongside the war hero and tweeted: “What happens in Ukraine matters to us all."

“That is why I am in Kyiv today. That is why the UK will continue to stand with our Ukrainian friends.“I believe Ukraine can and will win this war.”

Johnson twice sought refuge in publicity trips to the embattled city while he faced mounting scandals in Downing Street and has presented himself as the country’s strongest European ally.

Liz Truss, the favourite to replace Johnson as Prime Minister, said she would be Ukraine’s “greatest friend” if she won office and said she would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky straight away.

“As Prime Minister I will be Ukraine’s greatest friend - following in the footsteps of Boris Johnson - and commit completely to ensuring Putin fails in Ukraine and suffers a strategic defeat, and that Russia is constrained in the future,” she said in a statement.

Labour’s Keir Starmer has said “we will not be divided politically” in the UK on the issue of defending Ukraine against Russian aggression.

As he met both Ukrainian and British personnel during a visit to Salisbury Plain, the Labour leader said: “My mission, my message to the Ukrainian people, to our troops, our Nato allies, is that on the issue of defending Ukraine against Russian aggression, we stand united. We will not be divided politically in the United Kingdom on this.”

Nicola Sturgeon offered “continued solidarity” with Ukraine in a letter to President Volodymyr Zelensky to mark the country’s Independence Day.

The First Minister praised Ukrainian’s bravery in the months since Russia launched its invasion and said Scotland would provide sanctuary for those fleeing the war “for as long as they need”.

More than 14,000 people have come to Scotland since the start of the conflict under the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme and been able to name the Scottish Government as a “super sponsor”.

However, that scheme was paused for at least three months in mid-July as the Scottish Government struggled with rising numbers of applicants.

Hundreds of Ukrainians are now being housed on a cruise ship docked in Leith with welfare groups urging the government to find more suitable accommodation.

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