After being put up on Ukraine’s official petitions site on Tuesday, a tongue-in-cheek petition to make outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson the country’s prime minister has garnered more than 2,500 signatures.
Johnson remains a cult figure in Kyiv for his vocal support of Ukraine as it fights off Russia’s invasion despite losing domestic popularity and eventually having been forced to announce his resignation following dozens of ministerial departures in early July.
To show their fondness towards Johnson, many Ukrainians have painted murals and designed cakes affectionately called ‘Johnsoniuk’.
Listing Johnson’s strengths, the petition has been addressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Acknowledging its non-compliance with Ukraine’s constitution, the petition was put after Johnson presented Zelensky with the Sir Winston Churchill Leadership Award for his “incredible courage, defiance, and dignity” in the face of Russia’s invasion.
Interestingly, Zelensky, who quoted wartime British premier Churchill while accepting the award, will be obliged to officially respond to the petition if it receives 25,000 signatures.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak are vying to be Britain’s next prime minister after Johnson quit as leader of the governing Conservative Party on July 7 following months of ethics scandals which in turn triggered a mass exodus of ministers from his government.
(With inputs from agencies)
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