Boris Johnson acknowledges Ukraine conflict as a 'proxy war'
Boris Johnson has claimed that the West is leveraging Ukraine as a “proxy” in its conflict with Russia, yet is not adequately supplying it with the necessary weapons. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Kiev is not being provided the weapons it requires “to do the job,” according to the former British prime minister.
Boris Johnson, the former UK Prime Minister, acknowledged that the West is effectively using Ukraine as a means to combat Russia, urging for an increase in military aid to Kiev. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph on Thursday, he criticized the West for its perceived lack of commitment to supporting Ukraine, emphasizing the need to disregard fears about possible escalation.
“The problem has not been escalation; the problem has been the failure to escalate fast enough. It has been the dithering, the delay, and the nickel-and-diming of the [support] measures,” he stated, expressing frustration at the impasse in the US Congress in late 2023 and early 2024, which obstructed aid to Kiev. “That was a nightmare for Ukraine,” he added.
Johnson also pointed to an initial hesitance to authorize Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory using long-range missiles provided by Britain, France, and the US, highlighting Germany’s ongoing resistance to similar actions.
“It has been pathetic… Let’s face it: We’re waging a proxy war but not giving our proxies the ability to do the job. For years now, we’ve been allowing them to fight with one hand tied behind their backs, and it has been cruel,” Johnson remarked.
He asserted that the West must advance Ukraine's NATO accession, supply a variety of military and logistical assistance without engaging directly with Russia, and increase financial support for Ukraine.
Furthermore, Johnson highlighted the need for both the international community and Russia to have clarity about the desired resolution to the conflict. “Until and unless we clear it up, you won’t persuade [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to back down,” he asserted.
Moscow has accused Johnson of hindering peace negotiations in Istanbul in the spring of 2022, alleging that he encouraged Kiev to continue fighting. Close aides to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky have acknowledged Johnson's significant influence, but the former prime minister has dismissed these claims as “an absolute steaming, stinking lie,” contending that Kiev would never have accepted Russia's terms, which included the demilitarization of the Ukrainian army and acknowledgment of territorial losses.
Russia has continuously accused the West of utilizing Ukraine as a “battering ram” against its interests, warning that delivery of arms will not alter the conflict's outcome. Additionally, Moscow has cautioned that authorizing strikes deep into Russia using foreign long-range weaponry would lead to serious escalation.
Following several of these strikes by Kiev, Russia responded by targeting a Ukrainian defense facility with its advanced Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Boris Johnson, the former UK Prime Minister, acknowledged that the West is effectively using Ukraine as a means to combat Russia, urging for an increase in military aid to Kiev. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph on Thursday, he criticized the West for its perceived lack of commitment to supporting Ukraine, emphasizing the need to disregard fears about possible escalation.
“The problem has not been escalation; the problem has been the failure to escalate fast enough. It has been the dithering, the delay, and the nickel-and-diming of the [support] measures,” he stated, expressing frustration at the impasse in the US Congress in late 2023 and early 2024, which obstructed aid to Kiev. “That was a nightmare for Ukraine,” he added.
Johnson also pointed to an initial hesitance to authorize Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory using long-range missiles provided by Britain, France, and the US, highlighting Germany’s ongoing resistance to similar actions.
“It has been pathetic… Let’s face it: We’re waging a proxy war but not giving our proxies the ability to do the job. For years now, we’ve been allowing them to fight with one hand tied behind their backs, and it has been cruel,” Johnson remarked.
He asserted that the West must advance Ukraine's NATO accession, supply a variety of military and logistical assistance without engaging directly with Russia, and increase financial support for Ukraine.
Furthermore, Johnson highlighted the need for both the international community and Russia to have clarity about the desired resolution to the conflict. “Until and unless we clear it up, you won’t persuade [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to back down,” he asserted.
Moscow has accused Johnson of hindering peace negotiations in Istanbul in the spring of 2022, alleging that he encouraged Kiev to continue fighting. Close aides to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky have acknowledged Johnson's significant influence, but the former prime minister has dismissed these claims as “an absolute steaming, stinking lie,” contending that Kiev would never have accepted Russia's terms, which included the demilitarization of the Ukrainian army and acknowledgment of territorial losses.
Russia has continuously accused the West of utilizing Ukraine as a “battering ram” against its interests, warning that delivery of arms will not alter the conflict's outcome. Additionally, Moscow has cautioned that authorizing strikes deep into Russia using foreign long-range weaponry would lead to serious escalation.
Following several of these strikes by Kiev, Russia responded by targeting a Ukrainian defense facility with its advanced Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
