Boris Johnson believes that Rishi Sunak and Biden are dragging out the process of supplying weapons to Ukraine and do not want to help “finish the job” against Russia as soon as possible.
The former prime minister is asking the UK and US to send Kyiv long-range missiles, more sophisticated air defence equipment and drones as part of a new military aid package. Mr. Johnson has visited wounded soldiers at a military hospital this week in Ukraine and he has asked Mr. Sunak and President Biden how their governments could “look these people in the eye and explain the delay.”
In an article for The Spectator, President Zelensky called the community of world leaders “feeble.” He expressed his displeasure because the G20 summit this past weekend failed to send a strong message to Vladimir Putin about military action in Ukraine.
Britain has sent Ukraine Storm Shadow missiles with a 150-mile range to help fight Russian forces. On Thursday, Sky News reported that Ukraine used these cruise missiles to attack a Russian submarine and ship in the Black Sea. Mr. Johnson urged U.S. authorities to send Ukraine additional long-range missiles to be deployed with Storm Shadows, saying:
“President Zelensky told me that he needs just 200 more sophisticated ballistic systems such as ATACMs, and the US has thousands in store. Why keep them on ice?”
He also said the UK Ministry of Defence could supply more air defence systems, drone technology and howitzers. Mr Johnson added that if President Putin wins then “the story of Ukraine will be of lion-hearted Ukrainian troops finally betrayed by western loss of nerve” and it would be a “catastrophe” for the West, including the US president. He said:
“The Ukrainians were appalled by India’s feeble G20 summit communiqué, and the Indian refusal, despite the pleas of Joe Biden, to allow Zelensky even to address the meeting in his usual fashion.”
After meeting with severely wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a Ukrainian hospital, Mr. Johnson wrote:
“There is only one thing they want from us, and that is the weaponry to finish the job – and so I simply do not understand why we keep dragging our feet. Why are we always so slow? How can we look these men in the eye, and explain the delay? Throughout this war we have underestimated the Ukrainians and overestimated Putin, and we are doing the same today.”
During Johnson’s premiership, the UK supported Ukraine. Johnson repeatedly visited President Zelensky even after he left PM office. Mr. Johnson made it clear that the military efforts of the current UK government in the war in Ukraine have not kept pace with the conflict despite Mr. Sunak has maintained close ties to Ukraine.
Mr. Johnson continues to remain on the political stage, but he prefers to refrain from directly criticizing the Prime Minister. His activities include a weekly column in the Daily Mail newspaper.
Mr Johnson is not the only ex-prime minister causing trouble for Mr Sunak this week. Theresa May took a veiled swipe at Downing Street’s current inhabitant’s failure to vote on the privileges committee report into Mr Johnson’s conduct.
Mr. Johnson is not the only former Prime Minister to have voiced criticism of Mr. Sunak. Theresa May has veiled condemnation of the current occupant of Downing Street for not voting on the privileges committee report on Mr. Johnson’s conduct. A government spokesperson said:
“Since Putin’s full scale illegal invasion of Ukraine, the UK has been a leading international donor of military aid to Ukraine – second only to the United States.”
