The prime minister also denounced Putin’s “barbarity” after a rocket attack on a shopping center in Ukraine that reportedly had more than 1,000 people entering. At least 10 people were killed in that attack, although the number is likely to rise as rescuers clear the debris.
Johnson warned that the “price for freedom was worth paying” and said the G7 countries would continue to support Ukraine.
Speaking to the BBC, the Prime Minister said: “I think the price of freedom is sometimes worth paying. Remember, it took a long time for democracies in the middle of the last century to realize they had to resist tyranny.” and aggression.
“It took them a long time, it was very expensive, but what it eventually bought with the defeat of the dictators – especially Nazi Germany – brought decades and decades of stability, a world order based on a rules-based international system.
“That’s worth protecting, that’s worth defending.”
After the attack on the overcrowded shopping center turned shelter, Johnson criticized Putin’s “barbarity and cruelty.”
He said: “This horrendous attack has shown once again the depths to which cruelty and barbarity will sink the Russian leader.
“Once again, our thoughts are with the families of innocent victims in Ukraine.
“Putin must realize that his conduct will do nothing but strengthen the determination of Ukraine and every other G7 country to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
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The G7 is an informal gathering of some of the world’s developed democracies. The group was formerly known as the G8 until Russia’s membership suspension was suspended in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea into Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the leaders of the G7 countries virtually. He called for more advanced air defense systems, a request that was poignantly made by the missiles that hit Kiev and other Ukrainian cities over the weekend.
He also claimed sanctions against Russia were “not enough” and urged leaders to help Ukraine unlock its ports and export much-needed grain to the world.
He said: “This confirms that sanction packages against Russia are not enough, that Ukraine needs more armed assistance and that air defense systems – the modern systems that our partners have – should not be in training rooms or storage facilities, but in Ukraine, where they are needed now. to be.”
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There are concerns that some European powers might lose their resolve to continue supporting Ukraine as domestic problems, including inflation and skyrocketing energy prices, surface.
This could lead some countries to push for a negotiated settlement with Russia, something Ukraine has ruled out.
So far, however, support for Ukraine has remained strong, especially from the UK and the US. Ukrainian President Zelensky has previously praised the UK for its prompt delivery of advanced weapons, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been one of the most outspoken in his support for Ukraine.
In a video statement, Mr. Zelensky said, “Words become actions. That is the difference between Ukraine’s relationship with Britain and other countries. Weapons, finances, sanctions – on these three points Britain shows leadership.”