Ukrainians are in mourning for Boris

Boris Johnson’s support for Ukraine looked like a gimmick for many in Britain. Whenever the PM was in trouble, he called president Zelensky. When things got too much in Westminster, Boris popped up in Kyiv. But for Ukrainians, Boris’s backing of Ukraine is no joke: he is a national hero. He is the most popular foreign politician: his approval ratings are 90 per cent, only 3 per cent behind Zelensky. He recently became an honorary citizen of Odessa. Four streets are named after him, and one cafe in the capital even makes a ‘Boris Johnson’ croissant (with vanilla ice cream on top, which is supposed to look like his hair).

As he announced his resignation this morning, Boris addressed the Ukrainian, saying: ‘I know we in Britain will continue to support your fight for freedom for as long as it takes.’ His fall from power is painful for many in Ukraine. Zelensky called Boris a ‘true friend’, although he said he was confident that Britain’s support wouldn’t diminish any time soon. The two men shared a phone call this afternoon: Johnson told Zelensky ‘you’re a hero and everybody loves you’.

Ukrainians are in mourning for Boris. Zelensky’s adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak tweeted:

“To be a leader is to call Russia evil and to take responsibility in the most critical times. To be a leader is to be the first to come to Kyiv, despite rocket attacks. Thank you Boris Johnson for understanding the threat of the Russian monster and always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine.

Gennady Zubko, a former deputy prime minister, called him a ‘friend of Ukraine’, while Oleksandr Marikovski – an MP in Zelensky’s party – said Johnson’s resignation was a ‘landmine in the world order’.

In the comments under several Ukrainian news sites, some joked ‘let him lead our government then’. It's happened before. In 2015, the former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili was granted Ukrainian citizenship and was appointed governor of Odessa. He may have resigned within a year and been widely thought of as a colossal failure, but it's one option to Boris if he wants a route out of the wilderness.

The Prime Minister may be deeply unpopular with his colleagues and much of the British public, but Ukrainians don’t care. Boris will always remain the politician who stood up for Ukraine and provided funding, friendship and weapons when we needed it most. Perhaps he could have been faster, but he was much quicker than others, many of whom still can’t decide whose side they are on. Ukrainians will miss Boris, even if Brits are glad to see the back of him.