UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Ukraine on Tuesday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as tension on the country’s border with Russia continues to rise.
More than 100,000 Russian troops are amassed on Ukraine’s border and Russian President Vladimir Putin has made repeated demands to restrict Ukraine’s right to pursue Nato membership and self-defence.
The UK has long been a staunch supporter of Ukrainian sovereignty.
Mr Johnson's discussions with Mr Zelenskiy today will cover the full range of strategic UK support to Ukraine.
The UK is actively involved in defending rule of law in Ukraine and clamping down on corruption, steps that have strengthened Kiev’s ability to resist malign and anti-democratic influences.
New funding from the UK, of £88 million ($118m), is aimed at bolstering that work and aiding efforts to reduce Ukraine’s reliance on Russian energy supplies.
Mr Johnson has stressed, including directly to Mr Putin, the UK’s enduring and unwavering support for Ukrainian sovereignty.
Russia has been warned that any incursion would have a stark humanitarian cost and London continues to encourage Moscow to engage fully in discussions with Nato.
“It is the right of every Ukrainian to determine how they are governed," Mr Johnson said.
"As a friend and a democratic partner, the UK will continue to uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of those who seek to destroy it.
“We urge Russia to step back and engage in dialogue to find a diplomatic resolution and avoid further bloodshed.”
Mr Johnson was supposed to be joined on the visit by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, but she announced on Monday that she had received a positive Covid-19 test result and had to go into isolation.
He welcomed Mr Zelenskiy to Downing Street in October 2020, when they agreed to strengthen the relationship between the UK and Ukraine in areas including defence, trade and political co-operation.
As part of the meeting they launched a continuing strategic dialogue, which will continue on this visit.
The leaders last spoke on January 13 when they agreed to continue to work closely alongside international partners to deter Russian aggression.
On Monday, Ms Truss announced an unprecedented strengthening of the UK’s sanctions regime, which will give the UK the power to target any company that is linked to the Russian state, engages in business of economic significance to the state, or operates in a sector of strategic significance to it.
Following instructions by Mr Johnson, the UK is in discussions with Nato about what support can be offered to support the alliance’s eastern flank.
The UK is also expected to bolster military presence in eastern Europe as part of Nato’s efforts to secure the region.
But British and Nato combat forces are not expected to be sent to Ukraine, which is not a member of the alliance.
About 100 British personnel are involved in a training mission in the country.
Mr Putin has denied he is planning an attack but is demanding guarantees that Ukraine will never join Nato, while calling on the western alliance to draw back its forces in Eastern Europe.
The five pillars of Islam
Results
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BlacKkKlansman
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: M'A Yaromoon, Jesus Rosales (jockey), Khalifa Al Neydai (trainer)
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: No Riesgo Al Maury, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Mahmouda, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AS Jezan, George Buckell, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Dolman, Antonio Fresu, Bhupath Seemar
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
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Sweet%20Tooth
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RESULTS
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