Justin Tallis | Afp | Getty Images LONDON — World leaders reacted to Boris Johnson’s resignation, with the Kremlin particularly expressing its delight at the departure of the UK prime minister. Johnson announced on Thursday that it was time for his party to choose a new leader and therefore a prime minister after more than 50 people resigned from his government in protest at his leadership. As events unfolded in the UK on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “He doesn’t like us, and neither does he,” according to a Reuters translation. The Kremlin and the State Department were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Speaking on Friday morning, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said Johnson had “continued to say that Russia should be isolated, while his own party has isolated Boris Johnson himself”. “I don’t even want to comment on this, because Boris Johnson, with all his activities as Prime Minister and as Foreign Secretary, has shown that he is a man who primarily pursues superficial results, holds power to advance his political career by any means possible way”. The rocky relationship between Boris Johnson and Russian leader Vladimir Putin may not come as a surprise to many. Johnson’s military support for Ukraine has often drawn criticism from Russia. In fact, Moscow banned Johnson from entering Russia as part of a wider package of war-related sanctions. But Johnson’s departure will almost certainly not mean a change in policy toward Ukraine and Russia. “Let me say now to the people of Ukraine that I know, we in the UK will continue to support your fight for freedom for as long as it takes,” Johnson said in his resignation speech on Thursday. Meanwhile, the reaction from Kyiv was, of course, the opposite. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Johnson spoke Thursday after the resignation speech. Zelensky “thanked the prime minister for his decisive action in Ukraine and said the Ukrainian people are grateful for the UK’s efforts,” according to a Downing Street spokesman. “The Prime Minister emphasized the UK’s unwavering cross-party support for President Zelensky’s people and said the UK would continue to provide vital defense assistance for as long as needed,” the same spokesman said.
Biden avoids Johnson’s mention
Across the Atlantic, US President Joe Biden avoided making references to Johnson specifically, but said he looked forward to working with the UK government. “The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring,” Biden said in a statement, according to Reuters. In the European Union, officials now hope for better relations with the United Kingdom. Johnson’s government has been trying to change the details of a trade deal it signed with the EU after Britain left the bloc – a move that did not go down well with Brussels. EU officials, in fact, launched legal action in June against the UK Guy Verhofstadt, a member of the European Parliament, said on Twitter on Thursday: “EU-UK relations have suffered massively with Johnson’s Brexit choice. Things can only get better!” Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier also said that “Boris Johnson’s departure opens a new page in relations with the United Kingdom.” “I hope it will be more constructive, more respectful of the commitments that have been made, especially regarding peace and stability in Northern Ireland, and friendlier to partners,” he added. However, the future relationship between the UK and the EU will largely depend on who replaces Johnson.
