Russian Ambassador in UK Believes Johnson Unlikely to Resign Amid COVID-19 Party Scandal

LONDON (Sputnik) - Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrei Kelin told Sputnik on Friday that he does not expect UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign under the spur of criticism he has faced in recent weeks for attending parties at 10 Downing Street during COVID-19 lockdowns.

"Johnson has announced that he will remain in office at least until 2029, and I well believe it, as the British interlocutors who I have met in recent days believe that he will overcome this crisis, which is far from being his first crisis. And, of course, the country needs a charismatic leader who, so to speak, works big. In a nutshell, I do not think he will resign," Kelin said.

On Monday, Johnson told the UK parliament that he was going to "get on with the job" following the release of findings of an inquiry conducted by UK senior civil servant Sue Gray, who found that some of the parties at 10 Downing Street violated lockdown rules. A police investigation is ongoing.

Johnson has been grappling with calls to resign after it was revealed that several social gatherings were held at his offices from 2020 and 2021, flouting COVID-19 social distancing rules. He has so far rejected calls to step down.