President Zelensky said Johnson’s win was ‘great news’
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is “very happy” Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote and is still the UK prime minister.
On Monday, Johnson saw off a major revolt from his own party and survived the attempt to oust him as the Tory leader.
Some 148 Tory MPs voted to remove him from his position as PM, which fell short of the 180 votes against him needed for him to lose the vote.
Speaking at a virtual conference hosted by the Financial Times on Tuesday, president Zelensky labelled the PM a “true friend of Ukraine.”
He said: “I’m glad we haven’t lost an important ally, this is great news.”
…Boris is supporting us, Boris is veery concrete in supporting Ukraine… I'm glad we have not lost a very important ally, this is great news.'
— Joe Barnes (@Barnes_Joe) June 7, 2022
Just minutes after the result of the no-confidence vote was announced, one of Zelensky’s advisors Mikhail Podolyak tweeted supportively about Johnson.
In a tweet, Podolyak wrote: “Leadership is always a heavy burden. @BorisJohnson was one of the first who realized the menace of & stood by @ZelenskyyUa to protect the free world from barbaric invasion.
“The world needs such leaders. The UK is a Great friend of crown is a shield of democratic world.”
Leadership is always a heavy burden. @BorisJohnson was one of the first who realized the menace of 🇷🇺 & stood by @ZelenskyyUa to protect the free world from barbaric invasion. The world needs such leaders. The UK is a Great friend of 🇺🇦. 🇬🇧 crown is a shield of democratic world. pic.twitter.com/BGjLvy8IhH
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) June 6, 2022
Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi said he thought the Ukrainian president would be “punching the air” with delight in reaction to the Prime Minister surviving the leadership challenge.
These comments were criticised by some MPs, including Labour’s Karl Turner who said Zahawi should apologise for bringing Zelensky into the “Tory party civil war.”
Related links:
- Boris Johnson leadership: ‘We’re looking at a summer of discontent’
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy hits out at Conor McGregor over his past praise of Putin
- Martin Tyler issues apology for comment on Ukraine goalkeeper