Boris Johnson compared Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to former prime minister Winston Churchill, praising him for giving the Ukrainian people their “roar”.

Speaking to LBC radio ahead of a Nato summit in Brussels, Mr Johnson outlined some of their proposed next steps against Russia following their invasion of Ukraine.

As part of that he was quick to praise President Zelensky in leading his country in difficult circumstances.

He said: “I think that President Zelensky has proved to be a quite remarkable leader of his people – he’s rallied them and he’s been their voice.

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“He knows, as Churchill said of himself, he may not have been the lion but he’s been privileged to give the roar.

Borehamwood Times: Zelensky received praise from Boris Johnson for his leadership (PA)Zelensky received praise from Boris Johnson for his leadership (PA)

“It’s the Ukrainian people who have been the lion, and he’s expressed their will and their sense of defiance.”

Mr Johnson also spoke on how NATO could target Russian President Vladimir Putin's gold reserves as an additional measure of sanctions.

He said: “We need to do more, and so we need to do more economically. Can we do more to stop him using his gold reserves, for instance, in addition to his cash reserves?

“What can we do more to sanction Swift? And then we need to do more to give the Ukrainians military support.

“The big thing that has emerged in the last month – the huge fact that the world now knows – is that the Ukrainian people will fight for their country. They believe in their country, they love their country. They’re going to defend it.

“That was something we didn’t really know a month ago. It’s now absolutely clear. That’s changed geopolitics. It means that we have a duty to help them. We have a duty to help them protect themselves and their loved ones. And so the UK is stepping up again.”