Will my coronation marching measure up?

Travelling to Ukraine on the President’s train is the most secure route into Kyiv. This is my fourth visit to the country since the invasion. Previously I accompanied Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. This time I am with Tim Barrow, our National Security Adviser. The continuity of access reflects the extraordinary trust between Britain and Ukraine. The train is punctual and with an aura of seasoned grandeur. The enforced lack of phones combined with a steady rhythm for ten hours aids reflection. I think back to travelling to Moscow with Ben Wallace before the invasion and a meeting with my Russian opposite, General Gerasimov. At the time we still hoped war could be averted. This conflict has been a disaster for the Kremlin. Putin thought he could take Kyiv and the cities of Ukraine in a matter of days, but now faces a horrific war of attrition. Four out of five of Russia’s recent offensives have failed and the fifth, Bakhmut, has cost Moscow 30,000 dead and wounded. Russia is weaker and more isolated. Nato is stronger and more united. Ukraine stands even more defiant.

We arrive in Kyiv and head to see Volodymyr Zelensky. The curtains are pulled and sandbags are everywhere but there is no sense of crisis, just steady determination. President Zelensky looks fit and healthy, as does my counterpart, General Zaluzhnyi. I always give him a bottle of Glenmorangie whisky. His eyes also light up when told we have sourced more weapons. The survival of his country is at stake. The pressure is immense, but it is carried well, and I have enormous respect for his leadership. I emerge from a day of briefings confident in Ukraine’s ability to prevail, providing the international community stays strong.