[NTDTV, Beijing, April 11, 2022]British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv over the weekend, becoming the first major Western leader to visit Ukraine during wartime. To end the war, the West must impose an outright embargo on Russia’s energy, former Putin adviser said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Kyiv on April 9. At this time, at a time when Russia was deploying a large number of troops in eastern Ukraine, Johnson did not disclose the itinerary in advance. Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Johnson has been one of Ukraine’s most staunch supporters.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson: “I want to start by paying tribute to the brave Ukrainian people who did not fear a terrible invasion.”
The purpose of Johnson’s trip is to provide Ukraine with a new package of economic and military aid.
Earlier in the day, Zelensky also met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehamer, and at a press conference, Zelensky warned of a bad war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “The Russian army is gathering in the southeast. A lot of troops, equipment, armed personnel, they are ready to occupy another piece of our territory.”
On Friday (8th), a missile attacked the railway station in the city of Kramatorsk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. At least 50 people, including children, were killed, Ukrainian officials said. At the time of the attack, there were more than 4,000 people at the train station, mostly women and children who had fled. Russia has denied launching the attack.
Recently, there have been frequent reports of civilian casualties in Ukraine, especially after the tragic incident in Butcha, a small town near the capital, which has raised concern and condemnation from the international community. Rescuers are now searching for survivors in Borodyanka, another small town around Kyiv.
Borodyanka resident Maria: “People stayed under the rubble for 36 days, and the Russian army opened fire on it, preventing people from coming out from under the rubble.”
Zelensky continued to urge the West to impose tougher sanctions on Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “The West must do everything to force Russia to seek peace.”
Former Russian President Vladimir Putin’s economic policy aide Andrei Illarionov said recently that Russia’s military operations could be expected to end if Western countries embargo Russian gas or oil.
In early March, the United States has banned Russian energy imports; although the European Union has banned Russian coal imports, it has not yet directly acted on Russian natural gas or oil.
Comprehensive report by NTD reporter Jin Shi
URL of this article: https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/04/10/a103397050.html