Boris Johnson paid a quick visit to Kyiv.
Behind the visit is a concern that EU leaders are trying to force a “bad peace deal” on Ukraine.
– I know that there are some who claim that the price for supporting the Ukrainians is now too high, says the Prime Minister.
Earlier this week, the leaders of France, Germany and Italy made a joint trip to Ukraine.
Shortly after the meeting, Macron, Scholz and Draghi announced that they all want to let Ukraine into the EU.
But the meeting with the EU leaders seems to have sown a seed of concern in the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Instead of meeting the opposition party at home in London, Boris Johnson quickly went to Kyiv for a spontaneous and secret meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week.
There he warned that EU leaders are trying to pressure Zelensky to accept a “bad peace agreement”, writes The Times.
Already last week, Boris Johnson aired his fears for the British.
– I know that there are some who claim – perhaps not in this country but elsewhere – that the price to support the Ukrainians is now too high. And that they should be encouraged to accept whatever terms Putin demands. But I do not think it is an option for us, Johnson said then.
The plan: New military program will lead Ukraine to victory
Just days later, the British leader secretly jumped on a night train to go on his second visit to the Ukrainian capital.
The plan for the trip was, in addition to warning Zelensky for the “bad deal” with EU leaders, also to make an offer to “change the equation” for the Russian invasion.
This will be done through a large British-led training operation. Among other things, Boris Johnson offers a new military training program to the Ukrainians, where the British army will offer training for up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every four months.
– We will use the most powerful of the forces – the Ukrainian determination to win, Johnson is said to have said about the proposal.
According to the offer, Ukrainian soldiers can undergo exercises and training to speed up their deployment, build up their strengths and strengthen their resistance.
Disappointment at home
At the same time as Johnson met Zelensky in Ukraine, opposition politicians at home in Britain were waiting to meet with the Prime Minister.
The idea was that Johnson would attend a Conservative conference that was seen as an opportunity for him to rebuild his confidence in MPs.
This after he barely survived last week’s no-confidence vote.
On the morning of the conference, organizers still received assurances that Johnson would show up.
Jake Berry, chairman of The Northern Research Group (NRG), is said to have even spoken out on BBC 4 radio, saying he was “looking forward to welcoming Johnson”.
When they realized that Johnson would not show up, Berry must have expressed his disappointment, but also understanding.
– When you ask a Prime Minister to come and speak at your conference, the job as Prime Minister sometimes comes up.