In Lviv, as part of the 33rd Lviv International BookForum, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and one of Ukraine’s steadfast allies Boris Johnson personally presented the Ukrainian edition of his memoirs “Unchained”.
Boris Johnson’s visit to Lviv was organised by Vivat Publishing House together with Lviv BookForum. The discussion during the presentation was moderated by historian Volodymyr Viatrovych.
First Deputy Mayor of Lviv Andriy Moskalenko thanked the politician for his support of Ukraine and presented him with a symbolic gift — a special pen from the military, made from a live round.
Boris Johnson’s book in Ukrainian was recently published by Vivat. The Ukrainian edition includes a separate foreword by Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The organisers stress that the memoirs are valuable because the author was directly involved in making the decisions that shaped the United Kingdom’s policy during a critical period for Ukraine.
The book brings together stories from Johnson’s time as Mayor of London to his tenure as Prime Minister, including Brexit, the United Kingdom’s role in Europe, his attitude to Russia and the moment when it became clear that a full-scale war was inevitable.
During his speech in Lviv, Boris Johnson recalled that Western countries had long underestimated the threat posed by Putin, as well as the difficulties of persuading European partners of the seriousness of the situation in 2022. According to him, Ukrainians have paid a high price for Europe’s mistakes. At the same time, he emphasised that it was precisely the resilience and courage of Ukrainians that became the key factor in resisting Russian aggression.
“The heroism of Ukrainians was of great importance, and Putin did not understand this. But I think he now realises that this is where he has lost. He understands that he will never be able to conquer Ukraine and the spirit of the Ukrainian people. But he is a dictator and cannot simply stop — only force will stop him,” Boris Johnson stressed.
During the presentation event, the politician also spoke about his career, shared little-known episodes from political life, and discussed the situation in the world, Russia and his uncompromising support for Ukraine.
It is worth recalling that Boris Johnson had already visited Lviv in September 2023. On that occasion, together with Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, he paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian defenders, visited the City Hall and signed the Book of Honourable Guests of Lviv. Johnson also visited the UNBROKEN rehabilitation centre, where he spoke with medical staff and service personnel undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, and learned how Lviv start-ups are helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The 33rd Lviv International BookForum is taking place in the city from 10 to 13 September. It is one of Ukraine’s most influential literary events, which for many years has been setting publishing trends, bringing together the professional community and serving as a meeting place for readers, writers, publishers and cultural figures from across the country and abroad. An important part of the programme is the international events featuring foreign authors, whose physical presence in Lviv is seen as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine.