UK confirms to reopen its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared to reopen its embassy in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. PM Johnson made the announcement on Friday during his India visit.

The UK moved its embassy to Lviv during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Lviv is a city in the western part of Ukraine that has widely been devoid of fighting.

“The extraordinary fortitude and success of President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in resisting Russian forces mean we will soon reopen our British Embassy in Kyiv,” UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. “I want to pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of the embassy team and their work throughout this period.”

According to reports, more than 16 countries have announced plans to reopen their embassies in Kyiv, including France, Italy, Poland, and Spain.

Johnson is one of a handful of European leaders who have travelled to Ukraine since the invasion commenced. Others include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia. President Joe Biden has visited Poland and expressed an interest in going to Ukraine, but no such trip is scheduled.

Russia’s major objective with its invasion was to topple Kyiv, but this partially failed due to stronger-than-expected Ukrainian opposition and self-inflicted problems. The Russians ultimately got to the suburbs of the capital before retreating.

Russia’s failure in Kyiv has turned its sights toward the Donbas and the south. The Donbas region is in the eastern part of Ukraine, and there is a significant pro-Russian separatist presence where fighting between the two sides has been going on since 2014.