The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote a column for The Sunday Times in which he explained why Ukraine needs long-term support and what the prospects are for ending the war.
"Imagine for a second that Putinʼs dreams of victorious glory came true. Suppose he was allowed to take away all the territories that are now occupied by Russian troops. It is possible that no one would have moved a finger during such an annexation to the even larger Russia of the now-occupied territories, along with the frightened population. Would that bring us peace? Would that make the world safer? Will your life be safer?"Johnson asks.
According to him, such a misunderstanding would be the biggest victory for the aggressor in Europe since World War II.
"We know that Putin would not stop at the dismemberment of Ukraine. Only last week, he compared himself to Peter I and gave Russia the "eternal right to return" territories ever inhabited by "Slavs" in the past — a doctrine that justifies the seizure of vast territories in Europe, including NATO member states. ", — the prime minister writes.
He is convinced that this state of affairs does not allow any of the countries to feel safe.
Johnson also noted the heroism of the Ukrainian military, which halted the Russian occupiersʼ attack on Kyiv and preserved statehood.
He asks the public and Western leaders not to be afraid that Russian troops are slowly gnawing at the territory of Donbas in agony, saying that time is not conducive to the Russian occupiers.
"I am sorry to say that we need to prepare for a protracted war, as Putin has embarked on a military campaign of depletion, trying to wipe out Ukrainian forces with increasing force. The United Kingdom and our friends must respond, namely to provide Ukraine with the necessary strategic resources to survive and ultimately win.
Time is an extremely important factor. It all depends on whether Ukraine will be able to increase its ability to recapture the occupied territories faster, while the Russians will quickly gather resources for a new attack. Our task is to make Ukraine an ally in this situation," Johnson said.
According to him, Ukraineʼs western partners must fulfill four points in order to help survive the war:
- to provide Ukraine with all necessary armaments, ammunition, equipment and training;
- to help Ukraine maintain the stability of its state institutions with financial assistance;
- to provide land routes for the export of Ukrainian food, primarily grain;
- unblock Ukrainian seaports and help immediately export the 25 million tons of wheat and corn needed by the worldʼs least developed countries because they are at risk of starvation.
From the beginning of the Russian invasion, Boris Johnson quickly and steadfastly declared his support for Ukraine. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has already visited Kyiv twice, and Volodymyr Zelensky calls him "Ukraineʼs best friend."