Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was "very happy" Boris Johnson was still UK prime minister after he survived an attempt to oust him, News.az reports citing BBC,

Mr Johnson won a confidence vote despite a major revolt that saw 148 of his own Tory MPs vote to remove him.

"I'm glad we haven't lost an important ally, this is great news," Mr Zelensky said at an online event.

Mr Johnson has forged a close relationship with President Zelensky since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He called Mr Johnson a "true friend of Ukraine" and a "concrete" supporter in an interview at a virtual conference hosted by the Financial Times on Tuesday.

The UK was among the first to provide weapons to support Ukraine's defence and - like its Western allies - has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian targets prosecuting the war.

In April, Mr Johnson pledged "unwavering support" on a visit to the capital Kyiv, where he did an unannounced walkabout of the city with President Zelensky.