Ukraine war shows Brexit was a good idea, says Stanley Johnson

Mr Johnson, who voted to remain in the EU referendum, told Nick Europe needed to "pull its socks up" and said the fact the UK had severed ties with the bloc meant Boris Johnson could "lead from the front".

"At this moment you have to say Europe needs to pull its socks up," he said.

"I mean, Germany is saying they can’t cut back on their oil imports.

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"Well, why isn't the rest of Europe coming to help Germany do this?

"I mean it is absolutely absurd this this country, Ukraine, which has suffered so much, is now suffering [more]."

He added: "I say to myself, in this particular case, Brexit was probably a good idea, because Boris has been able to lead from the front here."

He said Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban was 'holding up' the EU from "making the right decision".

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He also praised his son's decision to go Kyiv.

"I had absolutely no prior knowledge of the trip to Kyiv," he said.

"But I will say I thought it was an absolutely wonderful, wonderful example of leading from the front."