Good will triumph over evil, Boris Johnson has said as he directly addressed Ukrainian Christians in his Easter message.

The Prime Minister said that Britain was bursting “with new life and new hope” as he drew on international concerns as well as praising Christian communities domestically.

Mr Johnson read a Bible passage from the book of Psalms in Ukrainian as part of a video posted to his social media accounts on Sunday morning.

He said Christ’s “self-sacrifice and resurrection” resonates today “whether it’s Christians here in the UK loving their neighbours and carrying out the countless acts of kindness that are a hallmark of the faith, those around the world facing fear of persecution, forced to celebrate their saviour’s rebirth in secret”.

“And of course the Christians of Ukraine, whether they’re marking Easter today or its Orthodox equivalent later this month, for whom Christ’s message of hope – the triumph of life over death and good over evil – will resonate this year perhaps more than any other.

“Easter tells us there is light beyond the darkness, that beyond the suffering lies redemption.”

Speaking in Ukrainian, the Prime Minister quoted Psalm 31 as he said: “Be strong and have courage in your heart, all you who trust in the Lord.”