A telephonic conversation took place today between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Johnson and Zelenskiy discussed the possible supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine’s armed forces by Britain in a call on Thursday, said a spokesperson for PM Johnson’s office.
The Presidents spoke about Ukraine’s military needs and opportunities for assistance from the UK.
“The leaders discussed developments on the battleground and the Ukrainian armed forces’ requirements, including the provision of long-range weapons to prevent the bombardment of civilians,” the spokesperson said.
The longer-range weaponry to Ukraine will allow Ukraine to defend itself.
According to Downing Street, the parties will talk again in a few days.
British Premier also set out the significance of a strong and independent international judicial procedure to ensure those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine are held to account and offered the United Kingdom’s continued support on war crimes evidence-gathering.
On February 24, just days after recognising the separatist regions, Russia started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The invasion began in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. In Ukraine, Zelenskyy proclaimed martial law and terminated diplomatic ties with Russia. Putin’s actions were widely denounced both internationally and domestically.
Prior to the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the Russian-backed separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, both in the disputed Donbas area, to be “independent” people’s republics and ordered so-called “peacekeeping” soldiers there.
Today, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine reached day 71, with Russia showing no indications of stopping its attacks. Russia has been bombing and shelling Ukraine on a daily basis. Thousands of people have been slain, with no exact figure yet available, and a large number of properties and buildings have been devastated.
Zelensky also asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for help in rescuing the trapped people from Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.