Support for Ukraine must continue until Putin withdraws his forces, Johnson says

Support for Ukraine must continue until Vladimir Putin withdraws Russian forces from the "entirety" of its territory, Boris Johnson has told world leaders.

The Prime Minister said Mr Putin must not be allowed to repeat the annexation of Crimea in other parts of Ukraine, which has been the scene of some attacks in recent weeks.

Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 and Mr Johnson warned that Mr Putin would seek to repeat the process in other parts of Ukraine following the invasion by Moscow's forces six months ago.

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In a remote address to the international Crimea Platform conference hosted by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Johnson said the peninsula had been turned into an "armed camp" by Russia since 2014 and was used as one of the launch pads for the invasion in February.

"Putin is planning to do to other parts of Ukraine – indeed all of Ukraine – what he has done to Crimea," Mr Johnson warned.

"He is preparing more annexations and more sham referendums."

Watch: New footage of Ukrainian military recruits training in UK.

Mr Johnson said Russia's annexation of Crimea "or any other Ukrainian territory" must never be recognised.

"In the face of Putin's assault we must continue to give our Ukrainian friends all the military, humanitarian, economic and diplomatic support that they need until Russia ends this hideous war and withdraws its forces from the entirety of Ukraine," he said.

Mr Johnson has formed a close bond with Mr Zelensky and is keen to reassure the Ukrainian administration that the UK's support will continue when he leaves No 10 in September.

The UK has committed more than £2bn in defence donations to Ukraine since the start of the war and recently promised to double the number of long-range multiple rocket systems from three to six.

UK Armed Forces personnel are also training Ukrainian troops.

It is part of a Government commitment to train 10,000 Ukrainians every 120 days.

Mr Johnson's address to the Crimea Platform conference came on the eve of Ukraine's independence day.

The importance of the day has led to concerns that Russia might step up military action, with the US issuing a security alert about the prospect of strikes against Ukraine's "civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days".