Boris Johnson's visit to Kyiv was a moment to feel immense pride in British foreign policy, says Darren Grimes

Yesterday the Prime Minister was abroad on a foreign trip; the British Prime Minister conducts many trips that often seek to boost British trade, interests and morale overseas. They’re usually pretty plastic affairs, with understandably strict security and precious little actual interaction with real people of the host nation. Often, the leaders are there for the obligatory photo op that was barely worth the cost to the taxpayer of transporting the leader and their security detail.

However, the one that took place yesterday was something different. It was a moment, I think, to feel immense pride in British foreign policy, and it was undoubtedly the most extraordinary of Boris Johnson’s career. The Prime Minister was yesterday holding surprise talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

It reminded me why this man and his mop of blonde is a unique politician; he isn’t just another yes man and is able to be courageous when it matters. Travelling to Kyiv, undoubtedly heavily opposed by British security and intelligence, takes real guts and an evident drive to ensure Britain is seen to be taking a stand.

Research by the pollster YouGov shows that public opinion is favourable of Boris Johnson’s performance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine; I dare say these scenes will only bolster that growing respect and admiration from his domestic audience.

There were scenes of nameless civilians seeking to offer the Prime Minister their thanks and thanks to the whole of the British people for our foreign policy efforts. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by the scenes and the outpouring of love for Britain.

For many years now, we’ve been told that Britain is so small and insignificant in the world that Brexit would be the end of us as a global power. In our stellar support of the Ukrainian fight for freedom, we’ve seen that this was defeatist nonsense.

Thanks to the British people’s vote to leave the EU, we’ve been able to announce the removal of tariffs on all imports from Ukraine and the reduction of regulatory barriers; these measures mean the might of the British economy will be there to support Ukraine in its recovery. Ukraine can rely upon the British lion.

I wonder, folks, I wonder if all of those who said we were nothing without France and Germany holding our hand within the Brussels conglomerate, that we were so diminished as a nation that we barely even existed without the EU club of 27.

I wonder, if even those Britain-sceptic commentators out there look at the scenes of our PM yesterday, the actions of our nation and the fruits of our taxpayers’ support and feel pride. Especially when compared to those EU nations that remain dependent upon the teat of Russian gas, with no signs of that abating anytime soon, powering economic support for bad Vlad’s war machine. We may well be small, but we sure do know a thing or two about standing up to bullies.

It’s a moment, folks, I reckon, to admire both Britain and Boris’ leading role