Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has set himself on course to clash with Rishi Sunak after he used a trip to the US to pile pressure on western leaders to supply fighter jets to Ukraine.
The UK government has already said it is not practical to provide Kyiv with sophisticated planes used by the Royal Air Force, such as Typhoons and F-35s, and US President Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16 fighters.
The visit by Mr Johnson to Washington to bolster support for Ukraine was “not on behalf of the UK government”, said Downing Street.
The former prime minister, who held talks with senior politicians to lobby for Ukraine, said the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, should be given all the equipment he needs.
Asked about the situation, Mr Johnson told Fox News: “All I will say is that, every time we have said it will be a mistake to give such and such an item of weaponry, we end up doing it and it ends up being the right thing for Ukraine.
“I remember being told it was the wrong idea to give them the anti-tank shoulder-launched missiles. Actually, they were indispensable and the United States — under [former US president] Donald Trump — gave them the Javelins as well.
“They were indispensable in the battles to repel the Russian tanks.
“People said that we shouldn’t give the Himars [rocket launchers]. I remember having arguments about the multiple-launch rocket systems, the MLRS.
“Actually, they have proved invaluable to the Ukrainians.
“We said the same about tanks.
“All I’m saying is, save time, save money, save lives. Give the Ukrainians what they need as fast as possible.”
Drones and weapons supplied to Ukraine — in pictures
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Turkeysold its Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine. They can fly at an altitude of 7,500 metres and swoop down to attack targets. AFP -
The US also gave 700 of its Switchblade kamikaze drones. AP -
Cheap commercial drones like the DJI Mavic series have been modified in Ukraine. AFP -
Germany will follow the US in providing a Patriot missile defence system, pictured above, to Ukraine. Reuters -
FIM-92 Stinger rockets have been donated to help Ukrainian infantry engage aircraft and drones. The shoulder-launched missiles can shoot down aircraft. Photo: US Army -
Germany donated 25 Flakpanzer Gepard all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. AFP -
The High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, can simultaneously launch several precision-guided missiles. The US has given Ukraine projectiles with a range of about 130 kilometres. EPA -
M777 howitzers and about 300,000 shells have been donated to give Ukraine an accurate artillery platform with a range of 50 kilometres. EPA -
Ukraine has been sent at least 5,000 of the anti-tank weapons known as NLAWs. These shoulder-launched rockets have proved deadly in the field. PA -
Ukrainian troops have also received thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles. Bloomberg -
Poland and the Czech Republic sent Russian-made T72 tanks, which Ukraine has used for decades, to ease integration and cut down training time. EPA -
France as announced its plan to give AMX-10 RC “scout tanks” to Ukraine. "This is the first time that western-made armoured vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army," a French official said. AFP -
Shortly after the French, the US said it would send Bradley fighting vehicles to provide "a level of firepower and armour that would bring advantages on the battlefield”. Reuters -
The UK sent their phased-out Saxon armoured vehicles. They found new life protecting infantry units in transit and dealing with tough off-road conditions. Getty Images -
Denmark has supplied Harpoon anti-ship launchers to help Ukraine defend its coasts. AFP -
The US sent 20 Soviet and Russian made Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine that had initially been bought for the Afghan government in 2010. AP -
Germany has also supplied its latest version of the IRIS-T air defence system designed to shoot down missiles at altitudes up to 20 kilometres. Getty Images -
Ukraine has also been given thousands of small arms, bullet proof vests, medical kits, litres of fuel, granades and other weapons systems. Reuters
“The Prime Minister welcomes all colleagues’ backing for Ukraine and is pleased the former prime minister is continuing his staunch support of the United Kingdom’s efforts to help Ukraine secure a lasting peace,” said Mr Sunak’s official spokesman.
But he said Mr Johnson is “acting in his own capacity and not on behalf of the UK government”.
Asked about Mr Johnson’s jets call, the official said: “It’s currently not practical to send UK jets. We will continue to work closely with the Ukrainians to understand their needs and how allies can further support them.
“Given the complexity of UK fighter jets and the length of time required to train them, we do not currently think it is practical to do so.”
Downing Street said the RAF’s Typhoons and F-35s are “extremely sophisticated” pieces of equipment.
Russia and Ukraine conflict latest — in pictures
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A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters -
Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty -
Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters -
A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters -
A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP -
Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters -
A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters -
A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP -
Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP
A Royal Air Force chief suggested the UK’s stance on providing Ukraine with jets could change.
Giving evidence to the Commons Defence Committee on Wednesday, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said: “I think the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State yesterday were very clear on where we stand on fast jets at this stage.
“But these are things that, the course of the invasion — of the brutal invasion and Ukraine’s heroic defence and how we have supported them — that has been an evolutionary process and I look to the future and we should be ready for any outcomes.”
He declined to say what air power the RAF could make available to Ukraine.
Mr Biden said on Monday that he would not send warplanes to Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson rejected the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be prepared to turn the war into a nuclear conflict.
“He probably doesn’t even stop the Ukrainians if he did that — and we would put his economy into such a cryogenic paralysis that Russia wouldn’t come out of it for decades — so he’s not going to do that,” he said.
