Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on his own initiative, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said on July 22.
The two met in Washington during the Republican National Conference on July 16.
Having discussed Russia's war against Ukraine with Trump, Johnson wrote later that he is "more convinced than ever that (Trump) has the strength and the bravery to fix it, to save Ukraine, to bring peace."
According to Stefanishyna, the former U.K. prime minister is acting on his own initiative but with the best interest of Ukraine in mind because he knows President Volodymyr Zelensky's stance.
“He is entitled to his opinion. He is acting in the best interests of Ukraine and can afford to do so because he knows the position of our president and the position of Ukrainians,” Stefanishyna added.
As the British Prime Minister, Johnson was a major supporter of Ukraine, and has continued to push for the West to provide Ukrainians with military aid after his resignation in 2022.
“He tried to explain the situation in Ukraine (to Trump). Such a voice is very valuable because he has authority, recognition and communication channels with colleagues from the Republican Party,” Stefanishyna told journalists in Kyiv.
Known for his long-term public sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and having repeatedly criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine, Trump had claimed during his presidential campaign that he would end the war within 24 hours if elected, refusing to discuss the details of his plan.
During the debate with U.S. President Joe Biden last month, Trump said that Putin's declared terms for a ceasefire, demanding that Ukraine surrender four of its regions, partially occupied by Russia, and abandon the effort to join NATO, were "not acceptable."
However, earlier reports in the media said that Trump privately talked about ending Russia’s war by pressuring Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbas to Moscow. He also publicly said in May 2023 that he would not commit to providing Ukraine with defense assistance if he won the 2024 election.
Johnson said he is convinced that Trump understands “that a defeat for Ukraine would be a massive defeat for America,” and that he could “end it — on the right terms for Ukraine and the West.”
The Kyiv Independent news desk
