The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom expressed strong criticism of Putin during an extensive conversation with an Estonian journalist. He did not hold back his emotions when stating that one of the reasons for the Russian war against Ukraine was Putin's archaic imperial instincts, which led him to decide to colonize neighboring countries, even at the cost of barbaric killings of hundreds of thousands of people. This interview showcased that the eccentric Boris Johnson, who was the first among Western leaders to visit Kyiv in April 2022, remains one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine in the Western world.
In an interview with Delfi, Boris Johnson emphasized that it is crucial for the West to convey to Russian leader Putin that Russia is no longer an empire and that for the Russian elite, everything is over. He did not mince words while discussing this matter.
"What Putin is doing is archaic, it is barbarism. He needs to understand that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, none of these countries are part of the Russian Empire anymore. The same goes for Ukraine. It’s over! O-ver! There is no more empire, Vladimir, you [expletive] idiot!" - Boris Johnson stated, using a more vulgar term on air to express his feelings towards Putin and later apologizing for it.
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In the same interview, he noted that news regarding Ukraine's invitation to NATO has recently faded from the agenda, which should have provided real security guarantees. In his view, this indicates that the West is retreating from decisive positions once again.
"We will not solve the problem of Ukraine without the guarantees of Article 5 or long-term NATO membership. We can find short-term solutions, temporary solutions, but the goal must remain NATO," he said.
However, if politicians are not willing to agree to this, he suggested that a backup option could be the deployment of European troops in Ukraine. He also mentioned that a significant issue for the West has been the ambiguous attitude of politicians towards Ukraine and their inability to determine whether Russian influence extends over Ukraine. Therefore, he argues that the Russian elite must understand that the times of the Russian Empire are in the past.
Amid discussions about the intentions of the team of elected U.S. President Donald Trump to reach agreements and end the war in Ukraine within three months, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War remind us that peace on the terms proposed by Russia will be impossible. The ISW emphasizes that peace negotiations will not be successful if Putin insists on his demands, including the demilitarization of Ukraine and the transfer of significant territory in eastern and southern Ukraine to Russia. These demands essentially mean Ukraine's capitulation. Experts point out that no negotiations can ensure peace while the Kremlin adheres to such ultimatums.