Boris Zelensky Meeting

[fender62]

briallint...and inspiring to other leaders.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10702855/Boris-Johnson-goes-Kyiv-meets-Ukraine-president-Zelensky-unannounced-surprise-visit.html

[Arrods]

Don’t hold your breath.

[emmie]

well done Boris,

[ichkeria]

“I can predict that our timorous PM, Justin Trudeau, will not go there … (snip) , and when asked in Parliament if he would send 80 ground-to-air missiles to Ukraine he replied that Canada will continue to support Ukraine...No mention of the missiles!”

You’re presumably Canadian so will know Canada has the world’s largest Ukrainian diaspora and that Canada has sent millions of dollars worth of weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine so far.

[Khandro]

ichi ; As painful as it may be for you personally, you have to accept that it is thanks Brexit that Britain has been able to take centre stage in the Ukraine war, not only unhesitatingly providing weapons, but scrapping all tariffs and quotas for the war-torn country. Will the EU do similarly? - they might, but will it not take 27 countries to agree, over lots of meetings? Thanks to Boris, it's already a fait accompli.

[naomi24]

An inspiration to the world. Good man.

[ichkeria]

The EU has done pretty well so far I’d say.
I don’t think the UK’s position would have been any different had we been in target than out.
Being in the EU hasn’t inhibited or prevented Macron from his apparently daft phone affair with Putin when he should have been campaigning, nor prevented Scholz or Orban for very different reasons standing out from the crowd.
The issues with the EU are very much similar to those with NATO: it’s always slower to agree as a body but when it does move in unison it is collectively more powerful and Russia knows that.
It doesn’t stop members acting independently: most notably Slovakia with its S300s.
Let’s for heavens sake not fall out over silly point scoring about politicians we don’t like, be it Trudeau or von der Leyen,

[ichkeria]

Again, I don’t know if anyone has seen this, but yesterday the PM was presented with a ceramic rooster which had survived an attack on an apartment building - the picture shows the window.

https://ibb.co/rvnqqjM

[ichkeria]

… it’s actually a kitchen cabinet!

[ToraToraTora]

wonderful Boris, even the 5C can't knock that!

[Gromit]

Hopefully Boris will come away from the meeting with something himself.
Tips on being a good leader would not go amiss.

[naomi24]

You don't think he did the right thing in leading the nation there, Gromit?

[Gromit]

There was no need for Boris to go to Ukraine in person. He saw a bandwagon and jumped on it.
Glad we are doing the right thing by helping Ukraine, but the un-needed visit smacks of diverting attention from troubles at home (cost of living, Met fines, non-dom tax).

[naomi24]

Haha! Well his day trip hasn't diverted your attention, gromit. Lucky someone is on the ball. :o)

[Gromit]

What did his visit achieve that could not have been done via a Zoom call ?

[ToraToraTora]

good try naomi but you are never going to get a labour man like gromit to acknowledge Boris has done a good thing.

[ichkeria]

That’s rather pathetic gromit.

Sure you you understand that a “Zoom call” doesn’t compare to an actual visit.
Of course I don’t doubt the PM is well award of the positive aspects for himself. But frankly I don’t care. He didn’t have to undertake what won’t have been a trivial journey with significant security risks.
Incidentally one which many Ukrainians are now making permanently: last week there was net “migration” back TO Ukraine.
You can’t put a price on the value of things like that

[davebro]

//What did his visit achieve that could not have been done via a Zoom call ?//

I hear The Pope is thinking of visiting Kyiv so...

[Khandro]

grommit;// What did his visit achieve that could not have been done via a Zoom call ?//

It is obvious from that statement how limited your view (& probably experience) is of the importance of personal contact, be it in politics or business.
There is a video out this morning showing Boris standing side by side with Zelensky & placing a hand on his shoulder - that means a lot to both of them & you can't do it on zoom!

[ToraToraTora]

the world has seen that, expect a queue of world leaders dropping in on Zelensky now. Sleepy Joe, next? Even the Wee un will be gutted she didn't get in there before Boris.

[Mozz71]

I'm quick to criticise Mr Johnson for his incompetence, but credit where credit's due, he did a great job here.

Gromit, you want to know what visiting Ukraine did which a zoom call couldn't replicate? It showed an example. It showed other world leaders that they could be more proactive. It showed the Kremlin that he's not afraid of them.

I never thought I'd say this, but for the first time since he took office, Boris showed actual leadership, not just on a national, but on a global scale. Well done.