Boris Johnson Alleges Vladimir Putin Threatened To Kill Him With A Missile Before Russia Invaded Ukraine | Politics news

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Boris Johnson has alleged that Vladimir Putin threatened to kill him with a missile in a call prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The former prime minister claimed that the Russian president told him, “I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile, it will only take a minute” in an “extraordinary” conversation that took place in February after he visited Kyiv.

Johnson, who would become a key supporter of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration in the months after the invasion of Russia, made the claim as part of a new series on BBC2 looking at how the West grappled with Putin in the years leading up to the war.

The former prime minister noted that during his visit to Kyiv, he warned Putin that invading Ukraine would be disastrous and that there would be tougher Western sanctions on Russia if he did.

Johnson also said he told the Russian leader that the escalation would only increase Western countries’ support for Ukraine, which would mean “more NATO, not less NATO” on Russia’s borders.

“He said, Boris, you are saying that Ukraine will not join NATO any time soon. […] What time is near? And I said ‘Well, you’re not going to join NATO in the foreseeable future. You know that very well,'” Johnson said of the call with Putin.

“He kind of threatened me at one point and said, ‘Boris, I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile, it’ll only take a minute,'” or something.

“I think with the calm tone he had, the kind of detachment he seemed to have, he was just playing with my attempts to get him to negotiate.”

Earlier this month, Johnson made a surprise visit to Ukraine amid renewed scrutiny over his personal finances.

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1:15 Boris Johnson visits Ukraine

The former prime minister said it was a “privilege” to be invited to the war-torn country by President Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he had a close working relationship during his time in office.

Downing Street indicated that Rishi Sunak was “supportive” of the visit, after allegations that it could undermine his authority over foreign policy.

Johnson was photographed visiting Borodyanka near Kyiv – a town badly damaged by the Russian invasion.

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“The Ukrainian people have suffered for too long,” Johnson said in a statement.

“The only way to end this war is for Ukraine to win – and to win as fast as possible. This is the moment to redouble efforts and give Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job.”

A spokesman for Mr Johnson added that he fully supports the UK government’s policy on Ukraine, including the recent decision to send Challenger 2 tanks.

The former prime minister has positioned himself as a key ally of Kyiv during his time at Number 10, offering support and calling on Western allies to follow suit in the early days of Russia’s invasion last February.

As his scandal-plagued premiership collapsed, Johnson was accused of using trips to Ukraine or phone calls to Zelensky to distract from crises at home.

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0:39 Johnson: Loan claims ‘complete nonsense’

The trip came amid allegations that BBC chairman Richard Sharpe helped the former prime minister arrange a guarantee for a loan – and that Mr Johnson later recommended Mr Sharpe for the role of BBC chief.

Johnson’s spokesman dismissed the report as “nonsense”.

Senior Conservatives have raised concerns about the trip, with the chairman of the House of Commons Defense Committee, Tobias Ellwood, telling the newspaper that Johnson should “not interfere with messages or official lines of communication” between London and Kiev.

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