Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a warm farewell to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he submitted his resignation on July 7 - RT reported. Mr Zelensky said that Mr. Johnson's resignation caused "sadness" to all Ukrainians, and expressed hope that Kiev and London will remain "powerful friends and allies" in the future.
Friend Boris Johnson, all Ukrainians are saddened by the news of the Conservative Partys resignation. We are truly grateful for the decisive and uncompromising help from the first days of the war. In particular, I would like to thank him for his leadership in protecting Ukraine's interests in the international arena, President Zelensky wrote in a social media post, along with a photo taken with Johnson during his recent visit to Kiev.
We have no doubt that the UKs support will be maintained. We will forever be true friends and strong allies, Zelensky added.
Boris Johnson has been one of Kiev's most enthusiastic supporters since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine in late February. Although London was one of Kiev's leading arms suppliers before the conflict, it has significantly expanded its arms supply in the context of the war, pledging nearly £2.3 billion in military aid to Kiev. The British Prime Minister also became one of the first Western leaders to visit Kiev in April.
Responding to the UK Prime Minister's resignation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "It is clear that the free regimes are falling into a deep political, ideological and economic crisis. The UK's sell-off situation is worrying.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated: "As for Mr. Johnson, he doesn't like us much. We don't like him either."
On July 7, the White House issued a statement about the importance of the US-UK alliance in supporting Ukraine, after the news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had resigned as leader of the Conservative Party and would leave number 10 Downing Street after a new prime minister. However, President Joe Biden did not even mention Mr. Johnson's name.
"The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest friends and allies, the special relationship between our peoples remains strong and lasting" - CBS News quoted Joe Biden as saying.
I look forward to continuing to work closely with the UK government, as well as our allies and partners around the world, on a range of key priorities. That includes maintaining a strong and united approach to support the Ukrainian people in the conflict with Russia, and holding Russia accountable for its actions, Biden said in a statement.
President Biden himself told CNN that he did not comment further on Mr. Johnson's resignation.
Mr. Johnson led the Conservatives to a historic election victory in 2019 and successfully took the UK out of the EU. In the context of rising living costs and historic inflation, the Conservative Party has opposed Mr. Johnson, apparently because of the party scandal during the COVID-19 quarantine period.
Although Mr. Johnson won a no-confidence vote on June 6, the pressure to him resign increased. On July 7, the UK Prime Minister announced the resignation of the Conservative Party leader after more than 50 government officials, including a series of ministers and deputy ministers, resigned before that. interim Mr. Johnson will remain as UK prime minister until a replacement is available.
