UK to reopen embassy in Ukraine's capital Kyiv next week

LONDON

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday announced that the UK would reopen its embassy in Kyiv next week as a sign of support for the people of Ukraine.

Johnson said the ability to reopen the embassy was in large part due to the "extraordinary fortitude and success" of Ukrainian forces in resisting repeated attempts by Russian forces to enter the Ukrainian capital.

"The extraordinary fortitude and the success of President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in resisting Russian forces in Kyiv means that I can announce today that we will very shortly – next week – reopen our embassy in Ukraine's capital city,” Johnson said at a news conference during his visit to India.

"I want to pay tribute to those British diplomats who remained elsewhere in the region throughout this period. The United Kingdom and our allies will not watch passively as Putin carries on this onslaught,” he added.

In February, the UK moved its embassy in Kyiv to the western city of Lviv prior to the Russian war. However, with Russian forces refocusing their efforts in the east of the country, there is hope that some peace will return to Kyiv and western Ukraine despite an uptick in missile strikes.

Britain's move to reopen its embassy comes a day after Spain announced the reopening of its embassy in Kyiv. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Danish Premier Mette Frederiksen paid a visit to Kyiv on Thursday where they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.