Before the outbreak of war, the German government is said to have advocated an early surrender of Ukraine. At least that’s what former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. Berlin immediately rejected the statements.
“The German position at one point was that if it (the Russian attack) happened, which was catastrophic, it would be better if the whole thing was over soon and Ukraine surrendered,” said US broadcaster CNN’s Boris Johnson. Johnson is said to have said in a conversation with CNN presenter Richard Quest on Monday that he thought this was a catastrophic position that he did not support. At the same time, the former prime minister countered that he could understand the idea. The German government had put forward “all sorts of valid economic reasons”.
Johnson traveled to Kiev
Boris Johnson himself made several trips to Kiev during the war. The Russian deployment on the Ukrainian border came as a shock to him. “We saw the number of Russian tactical battalion groups increase, but different countries had very different views,” Johnson said. Before the war began, many Western governments feared that the Ukrainian army could be defeated in a matter of days due to the superior strength of the Russian army.
However, with the Russian attack on February 24, the views of Western politicians changed. “What happened was that everyone – Germans, French, Italians, everyone (US President) Joe Biden – saw that there was just no option. Because you couldn’t negotiate with that man,” Johnson said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Berlin: Entertaining Johnson
The German government has already rejected the statements. “We know that the very entertaining former prime minister always has his own relationship with the truth – that is no different in this case,” said spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. The government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is said to have made substantial arms deliveries to Ukraine.
The European Parliament only identified the Russian government as a state sponsor of terrorism on Wednesday. This was justified, among other things, by the attacks on civilian targets such as hospitals and schools.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
