Boris Johnson, former UK Prime Minister, has openly admitted the West is treating Ukraine as a pawn in a “proxy war” against Russia. Yet, he criticized Western allies for dragging their feet, arguing Ukraine isn’t receiving enough weapons to fight effectively.
“The problem has not been escalation; the problem has been the failure to escalate fast enough,” Johnson told The Daily Telegraph. He slammed the West’s “dithering and delay,” especially during aid gridlocks in the US Congress in late 2023 and early 2024, calling it a “nightmare for Ukraine.”
Johnson also took aim at European hesitation, claiming countries like Germany have resisted approving Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles. “It has been pathetic… We’re waging a proxy war but not giving our proxies the ability to do the job,” he declared, accusing the West of forcing Ukraine to fight with “one hand tied behind their backs.”
Despite his tough talk, Johnson’s role in the conflict raises eyebrows. Moscow and even sources close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky allege Johnson sabotaged a potential peace deal in Istanbul just weeks into the war in 2022. Reports suggest he pressured Kyiv to reject negotiations, advising them to keep fighting. Johnson has vehemently denied this, calling it “an absolute steaming, stinking lie,” while asserting Ukraine would’ve never accepted Russia’s demands, including military downsizing and ceding territory.
Meanwhile, Johnson insists the West must step up by fast-tracking Ukraine’s NATO membership, boosting military aid, and clarifying their endgame to pressure Putin. But Russia maintains its stance, accusing the West of using Ukraine as a “battering ram” while warning against the approval of strikes deep into its territory. Following several such attacks by Kyiv, Russia retaliated by targeting a Ukrainian defense site with its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
Johnson’s admission only fuels the controversy surrounding his involvement in prolonging the war, casting doubt on his calls for more robust Western action.
