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Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a “significant” phone call ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened him to launch missile attacks on Britain.
Mr. Johnson said Mr Putin told him that the attack “It will only take a minute.”
Mr Johnson said Mr Putin had made the remarks after he had warned the Russian president that war would be “absolutely disastrous” during a phone call. “For a long time” in Feb 2022
A BBC documentary examining Mr Putin’s actions towards world leaders Has revealed the details of this talk.
Johnson warned Putin that Invasion of Ukraine will lead to Western sanctions and more NATO troops on Russia’s borders.
He also tried to deter Russian military action by telling Mr Putin that Ukraine will not join NATO. “In the near future”
But Mr Johnson said: “At one point he threatened me and he said ‘Boris, I don’t want to hurt you but with a missile it would only take a minute’.
“But I thought about his relaxed tone. not showing emotion He is probably faking my attempts to negotiate with him.”
Mr Johnson also said that President Putin “He is very familiar with “Talking on the phone about this most important matter.”
It is not known if Mr Putin will actually follow through on this threat or not.
However, considering the earlier Russian attack on the UK. The most recent took place in Salisbury in 2018, when a former Russian spy and his daughter were assassinated with a nerve agent. no matter how relaxed the tone of speech It is inevitable that Mr. Johnson must be taken seriously.
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February 24 Mr Johnson received a late-night call from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky the day after he returned from Kiev.
9 days later, February 11, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace travel to moscow to meet with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
The new BBC documentary Putin Vs the West has revealed that Mr Wallace returned with Russia assuring that will not invade Ukraine but he said Both parties knew that’s a lie
he called it “An expression of bullying or strength, which is I’ll lie to you, you know I’m lying, and I know you know I’m lying. And I will still lie to you.”
“I think it’s to say ‘I have a lot of power,'” Mr Wallace said.
He said the use of casual but straightforward lies confirmed his belief that Russia would invade.
As he left the meeting, he said that Russia’s chief of staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, had told him: “We must not be insulted any longer.”
Less than two weeks later, the tanks moved across the border on Feb. 24. Johnson received a call in the middle of the night from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Zelenski was very calm,” recalled Mr Johnson. “But he told me, you know, they’re attacking in every area.”
Mr Johnson said He has offered to help evacuate the Ukrainian president to safety.
“He did not accept my offer. He bravely stayed where he was.”
Putin Vs the West will air on Monday 30 January on BBC Two at 9pm and will be available to watch on iPlayer in the UK.
