Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday heaped praise on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UK’s response to Kyiv’s pleas for assistance in the war against Russia.

Speaking in his nightly address posted on social media, the 44-year-old said, “Boris was among those who didn’t doubt for a minute whether to support Ukraine. The leadership of Great Britain, in providing our country help in defense and also leadership in the sanctions policy, will always be in history.”

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“Ukraine will always be grateful for this to Boris and Britain,” Zelensky added, thanking the British Prime Minister for his promise to send 120 armoured vehicles to Ukraine, in addition to new anti-ship missile systems.

“The other democratic Western countries should follow the example of the United Kingdom,” concluded the Ukrainian President, who had earlier criticised several Western nations for their reluctance to directly supply arms and ammunition to Kyiv’s forces.

The announcements by Johnson came during his surprise visit to Kyiv, where he met Zelensky in-person for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

In addition to announcing a new supply of armaments for the war-torn eastern European country, Johnson also guaranteed financial assistance worth $500 million in the form of World Bank loans to help Ukraine deal with the steep humanitarian cost of the ongoing war.

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Johnson’s announcements on Saturday come on the back of the £100 million worth of high-grade military equipment announced for Ukraine yesterday, which includes Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, some 800 anti-tank missiles, and “high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes,” Downing Street said in a statement after the meeting in Kyiv between the two leaders.

The new weapons systems will come as a massive boost to Kyiv, whose forces have managed to recapture key areas from Russian troops over the past week, marking a notable reversal in the conflict since it began more than a month ago.