Boris Johnson’s resignation will not impact UK support for Ukraine: experts

Boris Johnson’s resignation as Prime Minister is unlikely to have a significant impact on UK support for Ukraine, even as the war on Russia drags on and the costs keep piling up .

« On British policy, we think it remains unchanged, » former infrastructure minister Volodymyr Omelyan told Fox News Digital. « No matter who comes to take over as prime minister, he or she will pay the same attention to the international agenda. »

Johnson announced on Thursday his intention to step down from the top position following growing calls for his resignation within his own party, coupled with dozens of ministers who left his government due to a series of scandals that had led to a « loss of confidence » on the part of the public.

But with Johnson’s resignation comes fear that Ukraine has lost one of its most staunch allies: perhaps only President Biden has remained so staunchly committed to Ukraine’s defense in the face of invasion. Russian.

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Johnson made two separate visits to Kyiv, including one the day after Russia pulled out of the capital, as a sign of support and confidence in Ukraine’s achievements. The first visit drew applause from all quarters for Johnson’s courage to enter a war zone.

But British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace assured Ukraine on Thursday that the UK would remain « fully behind » Kyiv despite Johnson’s resignation.

« The help the UK is giving to Ukraine is not coming from just one person, » Wallace told Sky News. « Not me, not the prime minister. That’s the whole effort. »

“Equities matter in all of this and while the Prime Minister will be incredibly sad to leave this post, he has led Ukraine head-on, as he had on Covid and obviously Brexit, and I think that is not lost on many people. »

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Ted Bromund, senior researcher at the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, told Fox News Digital he doesn’t believe the UK will change its position, as the party itself has pushed an anti-Putin stance and agenda that won’t go away with Johnson.

« You have to bear in mind that, you know, the UK has suffered Russian assassinations on its soil, now has a long history of deploying troops to the Baltics in support of the NATO mission, » he explained. « He has a long history, unlike France and Germany, of being willing to put his money where his mouth goes as far as opposing the Russians. »

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday March 9, 2022.
(Embassy of Ukraine in the UK)

And Ukrainian officials are not questioning Britain’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, no matter who takes over. Omelyan said he was « very grateful for all of Boris Johnson’s efforts to help Ukraine, and we believe he was and still is a great charismatic leader. »

« We want to do our best to be with our allies in the first year of the year and with this great memory and great efforts, I think the previous policy will remain the same, » he said. « In Ukraine, we are all very grateful to each other and great in difficult circumstances. »

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Support for Ukraine has waned in Europe, with polls indicating that after strong solidarity with Kyiv in the first 100 days of the invasion, the public now appears more divided on long-term goals. The European Council on Foreign Relations found that most countries would prefer a “peace” solution to pursuing “justice” for Ukraine.

Former Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan joined the Territorial Defense Force on the first day of the invasion.
(Volodymyr Omelyan)

But Omelyan believes that the threat of Russian aggression against other European nations will inspire those countries’ leaders to continue supporting Ukraine in its defence: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi traveled to Kyiv and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr. Zelenskyy last month as a « message of European unity ».

« We understand that it’s not about people getting upset or, let’s say, being fed up, » Omeylan said. « This war in Europe is about the future. »

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« If you remember the first weeks of the war, not all the leaders of the European Union or the European nation were very supportive of Ukraine, but the people were with us, » he added. . « The big difference is that the leaders have finally understood the threat coming from Russia and will do everything possible. »

« Ukrainians are dying, but Europeans are still not losing their lives. I wish it never happens that war hits the European Union or NATO member states. »