Boris Johnson launches a powerful rallying cry to the West, urging nations to give Ukraine more weapons

Boris Johnson today implores the West to give Ukraine the weapons it needs to defeat Vladimir Putin now.

In an extraordinarily powerful and emotional battle crythe former prime minister says Kyiv can win the war this year if it has the right equipment.

Johnson says that with hundreds of tanks and other weapons it may be “game over” for Putin but, with Germany and others wavering, he asks: “What the hell are we waiting for?”

Britain is the only country that has pledged to send tanks to help fight the Russians, but the 14 allocated so far will not make a difference in winning the battle.

Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky’s pleas for Germany to release up to 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks operated by NATO states have been ignored.

In a withering attack on Berlin’s excuses and delays, Johnson warned that hand-wringing was costing lives and causing economic problems everywhere.

In an apparent shot at Rishi Sunak’s bows, he suggested that no British tanks should sit idle in this country when they could be used to liberate the Ukraine.

Writing exclusively for Mail Plus, Mr Johnson said: ‘What conceivable reasons could there be for the delay? Why aren’t we giving Ukrainians all the help they need, now, when they need it?

“The sooner we can help the Ukrainians to their inevitable victory, the sooner the whole world can start to recover from the Putin catastrophe. That requires the West to double and triple our support.

‘I am proud that the UK is back in the game. By shipping 14 Challenger 2s, Ben Wallace has set an example. The time has come for others to follow our example.

The Ukrainians need hundreds of tanks and they should get them from the Americans, the Germans, the Poles and many others.

‘Where does the western world need to put those tanks, right now? Protect North Rhine-Westphalia? Protect Tennessee? Touring the Wiltshire towns?

Johnson’s call to arms follows his surprise visit to Ukraine over the weekend. He was invited by President Zelensky, who had previously praised the former prime minister.

Under Johnson, the UK was the first country to provide military aid to Kyiv when Russian tanks crossed its borders 11 months ago.

Johnson, who also called for Ukraine’s offer to join NATO to be approved immediately, was pictured visiting Borodyanka, a city badly damaged by Russian attacks. She said it was a ‘privilege’ to be there to show solidarity.

Writing for the Mail, he added: ‘Walk me past the blackened remains of an apartment block on Borodyanka, the twisted pipes and smashed children’s toys. Look what one of Putin’s 500kg airborne bombs can do to an eight-story building.

‘Try to meet the pleading eyes of the people who pulled 162 bodies from the rubble and searched for the 28 whose remains were never found.

‘Look at those brave Ukrainians and answer me this question: what the hell are we waiting for? Putin has no restraint, he has no scruples. With each passing day more innocents are sacrificed.

‘If you want to minimize the global economic pain, if you want to avoid the enormous cost, in blood and money, of letting this tragedy drag on, let’s do the obvious together. Let’s give the Ukrainians everything they need to win now.’

Johnson dismissed fears that sending tanks into Ukraine could escalate the conflict, convincing Putin and his Kremlin cronies that they should turn to nuclear weapons.

He said he did not believe it “not for a second” because of the political consequences for Russia. He said that Putin would lose the support of China, which is propping up the Russian economy, and that ordinary Russians would turn against him.

The courage of the Ukrainians is such, according to Johnson, that not even a nuclear missile would stop them from fighting.