As Kremlin Cheers Johnson’s Downfall, Kyiv Mourns Loss of ‘Churchillian’ Champion
Save for President Zelensky, no world leader did more than the British prime minister to unite Europe and the rest of the West against Russia’s aggression

While Kyiv declined to join this morning’s chorus of cheers from many European quarters as Boris Johnson announced his resignation as Tory leader, nowhere was the applause louder than at the Kremlin.
Save for President Zelensky, no world leader did more than Mr. Johnson to unite Europe and the rest of the West against Russia’s aggression — so much so that Ukrainians see the outgoing British prime minister’s wartime stance as Chuchillian.
The two leaders share an interesting trait: Churchill was an American citizen and Mr. Johnson was born on New York City’s Upper East Side. Yet, while detractors scoff at the comparison, it is hard to overlook the outgoing premier’s dedication to taking head on this century’s toughest military challenge as part of the American-led alliance of democracies.
“I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government,” Mr. Johnson said in his resignation speech this morning. Specifically, he highlighted his “leading the West in standing up to [Vladimir] Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.”
Similar to his World War II-era hero’s foresight, Mr. Johnson had warned against President Putin’s intentions even before the Kremlin strongman ordered his troops to blitzkrieg Ukraine. No wonder Moscow is tickled pink over the prime minister’s downfall.
“The moral of the story is do not seek to destroy Russia,” the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said this morning, adding: “Russia cannot be destroyed. You can break your teeth on it — and then choke on them.” The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Mr. Johnson “doesn’t like us very much. We don’t like him either.”
In Kyiv, by contrast, Mr. Johnson is “compared to Churchill,” a member of Mr. Zelensky’s party, Oleksandr Merezhko, said. The British leader was the first to call Russia “evil,” a top aide to Mr. Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, wrote in a tweet, and was “the first to arrive in Kyiv, despite missile attacks.” He added: “Thanks @BorisJohnson for realizing the threat of [the Russian Federation] monster and always being at the forefront of supporting” Ukraine.
Mr. Johnson “began to call a spade a spade from the beginning,” Mr. Podolyak added in a video attached to his tweet. The British leader “immediately suggested global politics to change its principles and become more responsible — and not to pretend this is just some small conflict situation.”
America is the largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, with Britain in second place though far behind. Beyond that, though, Mr. Johnson more than any other leader threw all his showmanship and talents in the ring from the very start.
His much-televised April tour of Kyiv was made in defiance of his security details, whose members insisted he should stay at home. Following Mr. Johnson’s trip, the train ride to the Ukrainian capital and the tour with Mr. Zelensky as guide became a must-go for top European leaders.
The British prime minister also forced the rest of the continent to increase pressure on Russian oligarchs. Mr. Johnson levied unprecedented sanctions on Mr. Putin’s allies and confiscated their assets at London, a favorite playground for Russian tycoons and their families.
While critics maintained that Mr. Johnson is much better at declarative performance than at policymaking, his leadership by example forced other Western leaders to follow. Even now he remains ahead of the rest.
As the French president, the German chancellor, and others try to convince Mr. Zelensky to end the war by ceding Ukrainian territory, Mr. Johnson is steadfast: Kyiv “can make no compromise with Putin,” he said during a second trip to Ukraine’s capital, which he undertook on June 17 even as foes at home were circling 10 Downing Street.
European Union types were less blatant than the Kremlin, but they too couldn’t hide their relief that the Brexit architect is departing. “A new British prime minister will have the opportunity to improve personal relationships with key European leaders — in particular France’s Emmanuel Macron,” a top Financial Times columnist, Gideon Rachman, wrote.
Applause was heard within the British isles as well. In Scotland, where opposition to Brexit reignited the campaign to leave the United Kingdom, Mr. Johnson was never overly popular. Same in Northern Ireland, where the borders between the EU and Britain are blurred. In Dublin, an Irish politician told the BBC he never interferes in London politics — but was willing to make an exception in this case.
Nor was President Biden ever a Johnson fan. A bilateral free trade agreement could have bolstered the British and American economies and helped Mr. Johnson politically. Yet, negotiations that started under President Trump in 2020 lingered on, and as yet a pact is unsigned.
“The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring,” Mr. Biden said in a statement this morning.
He promised to continue close cooperation with London. That, he wrote, “includes maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin’s brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions.”
Two most significant words were conspicuously absent from Mr. Biden’s statement on today’s biggest piece of world news: Boris Johnson.