Boris Johnson Visits Kyiv To Speak With Zelenskyy And Pledge Weapons

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russian forces retreated from the area earlier in the week.

Johnson pledged to send more defensive weapons and financial aid to the war-ravaged country in what he called “a testament of our commitment to [Zelenksyy’s] country’s struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign.”

The British government announced a new £100 million ($130 million) aid package on Friday that includes more than 800 NLAW antitank missiles, an unspecified number of Javelin antitank weapons and Starstreak air defense systems, along with body armor and other supplies. The U.K. previously pledged £350 million in military aid to Ukraine since Russia began its war around six weeks ago.

Western military officials initially feared the Ukrainian capital would fall within days of Russia’s invasion. Yet while Russian forces attempted to encircle Kyiv, they did not manage to take the city, now a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

Johnson’s visit came one day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a trip to the Ukrainian capital city to offer support and speak with Zelenskyy about bloc membership. She said a decision on whether to welcome Ukraine to the European Union would be made in “a matter of weeks,” instead of the usual yearslong timeline.

“Russia will descend into economic, financial and technological decay, while Ukraine is marching towards the European future. This is what I see,” von der Leyen said at a press conference, according to Reuters.

The EU president also toured the Bucha region northwest of Kyiv, where authorities say Russian soldiers committed atrocities against civilians ― allegedly dismembering people before killing them and looting people’s homes on their way out.

Zelenskyy said Thursday that the situation in nearby Borodyanka was even worse.

As Russians appear to regroup in eastern Ukraine, the country’s leaders are urging NATO countries to resupply its weapons stores ahead of the next phase of the war. Activists visited the White House on Friday to request more military support, arguing that the Russian attack on a train station that killed more than 50 people hours before was proof more help was needed.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...

• Train Station Atrocity Shows Ukraine Needs More Military Support Against Russia: Activists

• 'The Horror, The Horror': Civilians Flee After Train Station Attack In Ukraine

• Attack On Ukrainian Train Station Killed At Least 52 People