Johnson and Zelenskyy had ‘harrowing’ talk as Russia’s invasion began, ally recalls

LONDON — “I just hope this is not the last time you and I speak,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the night Russia invaded Ukraine, according to a former Johnson aide.

Speaking on a Global podcast about the turbulent final months of Johnson’s premiership, the former prime minister’s then-director of communications Guto Harri said Johnson and the Ukrainian leader had an “extraordinary bond” and shared “dark gallows humor.”

“For the first few weeks, even months actually, Boris and Volodymyr, as he called him — they were both on first name terms — would speak every day, sometimes more than that,” Harri said.

Johnson became a firm ally of Zelenskyy following the invasion, as the then-prime minister was a leading voice calling for the West to support Kyiv. Johnson has continued to champion the Ukrainian cause since leaving office.

Recounting the night Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Harri said he was phoned at 4 a.m. by a No. 10 military official who informed him Russian troops had crossed the border. Harri told the official to wake Johnson, who was on the phone with Zelenskyy “within five minutes.”

“Zelenskyy was breathless. He was anxious, but very calm, considering what was underway. It was harrowing, it was haunting,” Harri said.

“I’m okay, I’ve got good people, but you never know when Russian special forces are crawling all over your city,” Zelenskyy is said to have told Johnson on the call, according to Harri.

“I just hope this is not the last time you and I speak,” Zelenskyy added.

In later conversations, Harri said the pair shared jokes about “N-Law” missiles that Britain supplied to Ukraine, referring to them as “N-Loves.” In one of their final conversations during Johnson’s time in No. 10, Harri said Zelenskyy told the prime minister he was “personally disappointed” he had resigned.

According to Harri, Zelenskyy said: “We’re so sad, you resigned. We’re all disappointed, Boris. I’m personally disappointed. Everybody loves you in Ukraine. It’s true.”