As British PM Boris Johnson is expected to resign on Thursday, the Kremlin said the British prime minister didn’t like Russia and that Moscow didn’t like him either.

In an interview with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “He (Johnson) doesn’t like us, we don’t like him either.”

Also read: Boris Johnson resignation: What’s next for the 1922 Committee

It is reported that Peskov said Johnson would shortly resign as prime minister were of little concern for the Kremlin.

The Kremlin said it hoped that “more professional people” would come to power in Britain.

Also read: What PM Johnson said while refusing to step down: Job is to keep going

“We would like to hope that someday in Great Britain more professional people who can make decisions through dialogue will come to power,” Peskov said. “But at the moment there is little hope for that.”

Earlier this year, Russia banned Johnson and other senior ministers from entering Russia over the United Kingdom’s “hostile” stance on the war in Ukraine.

Also read: The men in grey suits are coming: Will Johnson survive what May didn’t

The Kremlin said the decision had been made in retaliation to the UK’s sanctions against it since it invaded Ukraine. In March, Moscow imposed a similar ban against US President Joe Biden.

In April this year, Johnson met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and pledged a new package of military and economic support.

Also read: Boris beleaguered: Who could be the next UK Prime Minister?

The move helped bolster Johnson and his supporters, who argue the government should not focus on domestic political squabbles.