Britain is to reopen its embassy in Kyiv thanks to the “extraordinary fortitude and success” of Ukraine in resisting Russian forces, Boris Johnson has announced.

The prime minister made the commitment, described as a show of support for the country and its people, at a news conference during his trip to India.

Britain moved its embassy away from the Ukrainian capital in February before Russia invaded the country.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have been thwarted in their attempts to take the city and have now switched focus to the east of the country.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson travelled to Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, earlier this month, praising his “resolute leadership”.

Mr Johnson’s announcement comes a day after Spain said it would reopen its embassy in Kyiv.

Speaking in New Delhi, the PM said: “The extraordinary fortitude and the success of president Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in resisting Russian forces in Kyiv means that I can announce today that we will very shortly – next week – reopen our embassy in Ukraine’s capital city.

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“I want to pay tribute to those British diplomats who remained elsewhere in the region throughout this period.

“The United Kingdom and our allies will not watch passively as Putin carries on this onslaught.”

Mr Johnson said he was “deeply concerned about the barbarism that we’ve seen” in Ukraine and its new focus in the Donbas region of the country.

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