Ukraine said it expected continued strong support from Britain for Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion, even after a new prime minister is picked to replace Boris Johnson, who resigned Thursday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Johnson for his support of Kyiv’s war effort as the two leaders spoke by phone.
“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,” Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement. “We have no doubt that Great Britain’s support will be preserved, but your personal leadership and charisma made it special.”
Russia derided Western countries for their support of Kyiv’s military operations.
“It’s obvious to everyone that liberal regimes are in a deep political, ideological and economic crisis. The situation of Britain’s half-decay causes concern. The loss of control, chaos, nosedive, that’s how it’s described by experts,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said, “As for Mr. Johnson, he dislikes us very much. We dislike him, too.”