Boris Johnson will welcome Ukraine’s resistance to tyranny as an example to the world as he makes a virtual address to the country’s parliament on Tuesday.
Recalling Britain’s determination during World War II, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will say that “we remember our time of greatest danger as our best hour.” He will say that the courage shown by those trying to defend their country from Russian invaders means that the war will also become known as “Ukraine’s best time”.
The speech to Ukrainian lawmakers was a reciprocal move by President Vladimir Zelensky, who delivered a historic speech to the House of Commons in March.
Johnson will be the first world leader to address the Verkhovna Rada since the beginning of the conflict, seeking to show critics that he is focused on international issues, despite ongoing questions about his leadership.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has faced new questions from Labor as to why his wife’s company, Infosys, is reportedly still operating in Russia, despite assurances that he will step down.
The Indian technology company has said it will close its Moscow office following the invasion of Ukraine, and ministers have called on British businesses to suspend trade with Russia to help halt its economy and avoid feeding Vladimir Putin’s military crates.
As Russia tries to focus on the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine after failing to capture the capital Kyiv, Johnson will try to boost morale. He will tell the Ukrainian parliament: “When my country faced the threat of invasion during World War II, our parliament – like yours – continued to meet during the conflict, and the British people showed such unity and determination that we we remember our time of greatest danger as our best hour.
“This is the best hour for Ukraine, an epic chapter of your national history that will be remembered and told for generations to come. Your children and grandchildren will say that the Ukrainians have taught the world that the brute force of the aggressor has nothing against the moral strength of a people determined to be free.
Johnson visited Kyiv last month and other senior Western politicians were also in the city recently, including US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Sunak was asked by Labor to say when Infosys’ Russian office would close and whether his family benefited financially from the company’s continued presence there. His wife, Akshata Murti, owns about 0.9% of the company, which was founded by her father.
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Tulip Sidik, the shadow economy secretary at the finance ministry, said it was “really important for the chancellor to clarify what is happening here and whether his immediate family is taking advantage of Infosys’ continued presence in Russia.”
She added: “We cannot have a situation where the Chancellor of the United Kingdom and his family are pursuing economic interests under the Putin regime.
A Sunak spokesman declined to comment. A spokesman for Murty said she was “one of many minority shareholders and not involved in the company’s operating decisions” and added: “This is a matter for Infosys and should be addressed to them.”
An Infosys spokesman said: “While the company has no active relationships with local Russian companies, we have a small team of less than 100 employees in Russia that serves some of our global customers. We are currently working closely with those clients who are affected to ensure a smooth transition. “
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