Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticized Western politicians during Joe Biden’s presidency for lacking “the balls” to fully support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“With all the complaints we may have now about [Trump’s] position, I just observe two things: you know, first of all, under Joe [Biden] and from the previous two years, whatever you’d say about what the West was doing, we were just about stopping the Ukrainians from losing,” Johnson told POLITICO. “But we never had the balls to give them what they needed actually.”
Speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Johnson expressed concerns about current peace negotiations with Russia while acknowledging aspects of Trump’s approach to Ukraine.
Johnson pointed out that it was actually Trump who “broke the taboo on giving Ukrainians lethal weapons” by supplying Javelin missiles in 2018, something Johnson claims “the Democrats have not done.”
However, Trump was initially skeptical about the sale and reportedly resisted it, suggesting Ukraine should pay for the weapons itself due to concerns about corruption and Ukraine’s economic situation. Only after aides convinced him of the business case, that supplying missiles as US aid would lead Ukraine to purchase more later, did he approve the sale
During his second presidency, Trump significantly altered European military policy in his second term by reducing aid to Ukraine and questioning America’s commitment to NATO’s collective defense principles. The US President also established a minerals deal requiring Ukraine to repay aid provided during Biden’s presidency and had a tense exchange with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
Despite these concerns, Johnson expressed cautious optimism about Trump’s approach:
“I don’t think that Donald Trump’s instinct will be to let Ukraine be crushed. And I don’t think that he has the political space to allow it to happen.” He added, “I have always thought that if we can get peace through strength in Ukraine, then Trump — for all the criticisms people make of him — Trump can actually deliver.”
Johnson described the current situation as a “very crucial moment” with Ukraine being “pushed into a corner” and asked to make significant concessions regarding territory and NATO membership. He expressed concern that Russia faces “no real pressure” and warned against a “very dangerous” conclusion to the war “on Putin’s terms,” which could result in a ceasefire that ends US military support for Ukraine and prevents the country from joining NATO.
“It will be an utter, utter disaster,” Johnson said “because Putin would remain in a position to destabilize Ukraine. And, of course, to launch another invasion.”
This comes after Zelenskyy proposed Russian President Putin to meet for peace talks on 15 May in Istanbul, Türkiye, but he urged Russia to agree to a full 30-day ceasefire beforehand for any negotiations to begin.
European allies threatened massive new sanctions on Russia if Moscow refuses. The Kremlin, however, did not respond to a ceasefire proposal and did not confirm whether Putin himself will participate in Istanbul talks or send a delegation.
Russia instead suggested resuming bilateral negotiations based on the 2022 Istanbul protocols, which included demands amounting to Ukraine’s full surrender, such as renouncing NATO membership, limiting its military, and recognizing Russian illegal annexations.
Meanwhile, US President Trump expressed interest in attending the summit if his presence would be helpful, a move welcomed by Zelenskyy.
In 2023, Johnson also criticized the West for consistently being slow to provide Ukraine with the necessary military and economic support, often delivering aid “months too late.”
