When he claimed that President Vladimir Putin had threatened him with a missile attack during a phone conversation in the lead-up to the invasion of Ukraine, former British prime minister Boris Johnson was accused of lying by the Kremlin.
Johnson said that the Russian leader had threatened him with a missile attack that would “just take a minute” in an interview with the BBC for a documentary.
At one point, Johnson said, “He threatened me and said, “Boris, I don’t want to damage you but, with a missile, it would just take a minute” or something like.”
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, hit back today, telling reporters that Johnson had made up the accusations.
“Mr. Johnson made certain false statements. More specifically, it is a lie; there were no missile threats, according to Peskov.
After visiting Kyiv in February of last year to reassure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Britain would support his nation in the event of an invasion by Russia, Johnson alleges Putin made his astounding warning.
Upon his return to Britain, Johnson claimed to have had “a very lengthy, very unusual chat” with Putin, who at the time was openly rejecting any intention of invading Ukraine while amassing tens of thousands of soldiers on its borders in Russia and Belarus.
According to the former prime minister, he warned the dictator of Russia that war would be a “absolute disaster” and lead to unheard-of Western sanctions.
Given the resistance from countries like France and Germany, he discounted the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, but he cautioned that a conflict may rally support behind Kyiv and lead to “more NATO, not less NATO” on Russia’s borders.
“Boris, you claim that Ukraine is not going to join Nato any time soon. What is any time soon?” Johnson recalled the man saying. And I said, “Well, it won’t be joining NATO anytime soon. You are well aware of it.
He once threatened me by saying, “Boris, I don’t want to injure you, but with a rocket it would take just a minute,” according to Boris.
“I believe that he was simply playing along with my efforts to get him to bargain,” the speaker said, “given the extremely comfortable tone that he was assuming and the type of air of detachment that he appeared to have.
The information was revealed in a Putin v. the West BBC program that will air tonight.
Last year, Johnson was instrumental in mobilizing Western backing for Ukraine.
In the meanwhile, Peskov vigorously refuted Johnson’s assertions, contending that it was either a deliberate ruse or a careless error brought about by a misunderstanding.
“What Mr. Johnson claimed is false, to be more exact. Additionally, I’ll add that this is either a deliberate deception, in which case it begs the issue of why he chose to convey it in this manner. Or was it an unintentional untruth, and in reality, he was unable to comprehend what President Putin was saying to him? Peskov used logic.
I am aware of the topics raised throughout our chat, and I will state it again: this is a lie. No missile attacks were threatened,’ he continued.
Speaking of the threats to Russia’s security, President Putin said that any missile might be launched from the United States and arrive in Moscow in a matter of minutes if Ukraine joins NATO.
Since leaving office, Johnson has been a pain in Putin’s side, carrying out a number of prominent interventions meant to deter Western leaders from reversing course.
In order to back the president’s desire for additional Western tanks, he paid Zelensky another visit last week.
Johnson penned the following in a Daily Mail rallying cry: “What possible reasons can there be for delay? Why aren’t we providing the Ukrainians with all the assistance they need right now?
Putin’s warnings to use his nuclear weapons if the West increases its support for Kyiv were also disregarded by the former prime minister. He said that Putin would “become a worldwide pariah and plunge Russia into such a state of frozen economic seclusion that the existing sanctions would appear mild.”
Days later, the announcement from Germany and the United States that they would send tanks to Ukraine infuriated the Kremlin.
Russian authorities today issued a warning that their nation is “on the brink of a frontal confrontation with the US and NATO,” escalating tensions even further.
They said that owing to Washington’s attempts to hand Moscow a “strategic defeat” in the Ukraine, it is “quite probable” that there won’t be a nuclear weapons control agreement with the United States beyond 2026.
Sergei Ryabkov, deputy foreign minister, referred to Washington’s decision to provide 31 of its quick-moving M1 Abrams tanks to Kiev as a “very harmful action” that “escalated” the conflict in Ukraine.
Ryabkov said that the future of the nuclear weapons limitation deal between the US and Moscow is in question since Washington seems determined to hand Russia a “strategic defeat.”
He cautioned that without a successor, the treaty’s last pillar may expire in 2026.
Putin is urgently attempting to breach Kyiv’s defenses as Russian troops continue to pour bodies into the beleaguered Donetsk area in eastern Ukraine, with severe combat reported in the villages of Bakhmut and Vuhledar.
Just days after NATO agreed to provide Kyiv heavy combat tanks, Zelensky said Ukraine was in a bad position in Donetsk and required quicker military deliveries and new kinds of armaments.
‘This is a really difficult scenario. Russian assaults are ongoing in Bakhmut, Vuhledar, and other areas of the Donetsk region, Zelensky said in a televised address late on Sunday.
“Russia wants the conflict to continue and use all of our resources.” Therefore, we must use time as a weapon. Events must move more quickly, supplies must be opened up faster, and Ukraine must have access to new weaponry.
Denis Pushilin, the commander of the Russian-controlled areas of Donetsk, confirmed Zelensky’s claims of attrition in Vuhledar by telling the Russian news agency TASS that the war for the town was under way and that his troops had achieved a footing.
Russian soldiers are launching waves of strikes on Vuhledar, a crucial strategic position for both sides, according to Ukrainian military expert and colonel Mykola Salamakha.
“From here, we effectively command the whole Russian rail network utilized for logistics… A very powerful defensive center has been established in the town, which is located on an upland,’ he added.
In addition, the regional government said that three people were killed and six were injured in Sunday’s Russian missile attacks on Kherson, which also destroyed a hospital and a school.
According to Oleg Synehubov, the regional governor, strikes were also recorded in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where one elderly lady was reportedly killed. Today, the city was targeted by further missiles, although no new reports of deaths have been made as of yet.
Kherson was taken over by Russian soldiers soon after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and they controlled the city until Ukrainian forces took it back in November.
Since it was freed, Russian forces across the Dnipro River have often bombarded the city.
On Saturday, Russia charged the Ukrainian military of purposefully hitting a hospital in a region of eastern Ukraine that was under Russian control and killing 14.
The claims received no reaction from Ukraine.
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