Russia-Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin threatened to kill Boris Johnson in missile attack, ex-British PM reveals

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to kill Boris Johnson in a missile attack, warning him it would only take a minute, Britain’s former prime minister has revealed.

Johnson was chronicling the events leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for a BBC documentary when he revealed details of his exchange with Putin.

Before the invasion, Johnson traveled to Kyiv to offer support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Despite growing concern over the build-up of Russian troops near the border, Russia has continued to deny any intention to advance into Ukrainian territory.

Three weeks after Johnson’s visit to Kyiv, on February 24, Russia launched its invasion.

Johnson said he had informed Putin that if Russia invaded Ukraine, the West would respond with tougher sanctions and increased support for Kyiv, including the possibility of more NATO, not less, on Russia’s borders.

At one point he threatened me and said, Boris, I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile, it would only take a minute, or something like that, Johnson told the BBC.

From the relaxed tone he was taking, the kind of detachment he seemed to have, he was just playing along with my attempts to get him to negotiate.

When Putin asked for clarification on the West’s stance on Ukraine’s possible NATO membership, Johnson replied that in the near future, Ukraine is not expected to join the alliance.

The documentary also highlights Britain’s role in trying to steer Putin away from a possible invasion to prevent what could have been much worse.

If you know Russia is going to take over Ukraine tomorrow, why don’t you give me something today to stop it? Johnson recounted.

Or if you can’t give it to me, stop it yourself.

The documentary also shows Zelensky reflecting on his thwarted ambitions to join NATO before Russia’s attack.

In the months following Russia’s invasion, Johnson and several other British politicians were placed on Moscow’s stop list, barring them from entering the country. Russia’s retaliation came after the UK imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian trade and pledged further support to the Ukrainian government.

Kremlin mouthpieces have previously singled out Britain along with the United States as the main instigators against Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Moscow officials described the UK as hostile, while Putin’s propagandists in the press were baying for blood.

In connection with the unprecedented hostile actions of the British government, expressed in particular by the imposition of sanctions against high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation, a decision was taken to include key members of the British government and a number of political figures Russian stop list, Moscow said in a statement .

In essence, the British leadership is deliberately exacerbating the situation around Ukraine, arming the Kiev regime with lethal weapons and coordinating similar efforts on the part of NATO.

British education was also instrumental in Ukraine’s war with Russia.

In the days leading up to the invasion, Ukrainian soldiers from across the country turned up in droves to receive training in the UK in NLAW [next generation light antitank weapons].

Britain has so far provided more than 5000 NLAWs to Ukrainian forces and has sent more than 6000 more. They have proved invaluable in slowing the Russian advance, British forces said.