A former Finnish prime minister has dismissed claims Boris Johnson is leading opposition to Vladimir Putin as “illusion” and “utter rubbish”.
Alexander Stubb, whose country shares a 1,340km border with Russia, said only in “Brexit la la land” was the British PM seen as having “taken a lead globally”.
“This idea about ‘Global Britain’ is as true as ‘peaceful Russia’,” the conservative ex-leader said.
“Simply utter rubbish, to put it diplomatically. To claim that Boris Johnson ‘has taken a lead globally in standing up to Putin’ is an illusion only possible in Brexit la la land.”
His intervention comes after Mr Johnson sparked fury by likening Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian invasion to Brexit.
Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council, dismissed Mr Johnson’s comments at the Tory spring conference as offensive to Ukrainians, the British people, and “common sense” itself.
But Sajid Javid, the UK health secretary, endorsed claims Mr Johnson had taken a lead on television on Monday morning.
“When it comes to Boris Johnson and Ukraine, it’s hard to find any world leader that’s done more to support Ukraine at this time,” Mr Javid told the BBC Breakfast programme.
The UK has sent arms to Ukraine and sanctioned Russian individuals and entities – but has been criticised for being slower to crack down on Kremlin-linked money than Europe.
Britain is also the only major European country not to have a full open door policy for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, and has so far taken fewer refugees than its neighbours.
Mr Johnson will visit Brussels on Thursday for a Nato summit, but he has not been invited to attend an EU leaders’ summit on the same day.
His absence comes despite US president Joe Biden being expected to attend the meeting. The prime minister gave up his automatic seat on the European Council when he left the EU.
Mr Johnson told the Tory spring conference in Blackpool over the weekend: “I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time. I can give you a couple of famous recent examples.
“When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners.
“It’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.”
The irony that the actions of those desperate to feel patriotic pride, wave Union Jacks, and bang on about “Great” Britain are those who, in the last 6 years at least, have done more to embarrass and diminish us a nation than any other entity or event ever.
He thinks he’s Churchill, reality is he’s more like Mussolini.
Unfortunately he’s using the war as a nice little distraction from the chaos in his government.
It’s his Falklands moment. He’s appearing to look big and tough. But like everything he’s ever done, it’s just an act.
Edited for spelling.
To be fair, I will critique tories every chance I get because they’re a bunch of spineless, populist, wankers.
However, that being said – this time Boris genuinely has lead the pack in Europe.
The UK was sending Ukraine weapons before anyone else in Europe was, we were the one of the first to block Russians from our airspace while the EU lagged behind, we were the first to propose removing them from SWIFT whilst Italy and Germany said it wasn’t going to happen. We gave Ukraine a 4.6 billion dollar loan in like February to upgrade their naval capacity while the rest of the EU were calling us warmongers, and we also started a trilateral pact with Poland and Ukraine before this whole thing even started.
I’m all for calling Brexit a stupid idea, which it was and still is with no real benefits, but for this once the UK genuinely has been leading the way while all the other EU nations were following behind.
Well that’s the best statement about our Dick Head Leader I have heard.
The article is 95% content not related to this politician’s comments. It’s word salad.
It’s a running theme, isn’t it? Attempt to drum up domestic political support by destroying the UK’s relations with its neighbours. If there’s one thing these last years will have taught these governments then it is that it is impossible to separate a government’s policies from the rhetoric they employ towards their own people. If Mr. Johnson and his supporters keep insisting on this “struggle for freedom” narrative, while others are even less subtle about what the EU represents in this analogy, *and* they look at the UK’s behaviour these last five years, they will draw their conclusions. If the UK government keeps using the EU, which effectively is its member states’ governments, as the villain in their pantomime version of history, they will conclude that this also governs its public policy and strategy. This will subsequently prompt them to keep the UK at arms length, and to reduce cooperation in order to minimize the risk caused by an unreliable and potentially antagonistic neighbour. Incidents like these may seem inconsequential beyond the obvious insult to the people in Ukraine, but they do have a diplomatic impact beyond that, especially as they form part of a well known pattern. Words do matter, but apparently not to Mr. Johnson.
Well the Ukrainians themselves see Britain as being Ukraine’s closest ally after Poland and Lithuania, so I guess Ukraine is la la land too
Russians as Lords, quite literally. No one has done more to help Russia and destabilize the west than bojo. Brexit was a Russian operation, and conservatives licked their master’s hands as they knelt and served.
And yet polling shows the UK is Ukraine’ third most favoured country currently, with 1 and 2 being immediate neighbours.
Clearly doing something right.
The UK has led the way though, even as far back as 2014. Outside of maybe the US, no one was doing more for ukraine before this kicked off, and no one was as fast aa getting equipment and supplies sent.
Its simply a fact, regardless of what some random ex politician says. The US and UK led the way, and continue to play a major role. The only difference now is that everyone else woke and decided to finally do something.
Him and his cronies are making thos country even more of a laughing stock than ever before
This smells a lot like Russian propaganda you swine
“The sanctions hysteria in which London plays one of the leading, if not the main, roles, leaves us no choice but to take proportionately tough retaliatory measures. London has made a final choice of open confrontation with Russia.
Such a development convinces us once more that Russophobia and the aim to undermine the Russian state are integral elements of Britain’s foreign policy.”
Can always trust the Independent to promote any Britain-bad narrative though, and 800 idiots and counting upvoting it.
then according to the ex-Finnish Prime Minister Ukraine must be located in “Brexit La La Land” because they view Britain as a much closer ally than they view anyone else in Western Europe
Objectively Johnson is the fly in the ointment of American/Euro unity. I don’t see any other countries political parties or politicians claiming to be leading the world on Ukraine. Everyone with a brain knows its the USA, and we don’t get Biden blabbing his mouth off about it at every opportunity.
How many more times are the Conservative party prepared to let this clown make us an international laughing stock?
Danish ex-PM said the same thing to Nadim Zarhawi on BBC Question Time a few weeks ago and he nearly died on the spot with embarrassment.
It does seem weird to me
I interpreted it at the time as Johnson quite early on running around Europe shouting that the Russians were about to invade Ukraine the next week, simply as a way out of his Partygate crisis. A way to save his skin. To redirect his home audience away from Partygate and onto firm and competent world leading governance where Johnson went around having important meetings with important European leaders.
And, from what I remember, it caused a bit of panic at the time and the US had to point out at the time that the Russians weren’t actually imminently going to invade Ukraine, they were at least a month away
But Johnson lucked out, as he tends to (luck and skill, really), and Russia really did invade and he’s able to come across as this great genius leader. The Ukrainians absolutely love him because, from their point of view, he was the earliest and the strongest supporter of theirs. They get quite upset if you say that he did it (at least in the early days) as a way of saving his bacon
And even with the “lets get Europe off Russian oil and gas” thing that he was early and vocal on there’s a cynical side to it. We don’t use that much Russian gas but the Germans use a shitload of it. If Europe has to give up Russian gas it hurts countries like Germany more than it hurts us. Post Brexit anything that’s good for us, both as a way of saying “see, they’re weak and getting out was a good idea after all” and because they are now our nearest competitors
[removed]
I worry people will think he’s a good leader and ignore his tenure and the crusty bobble hats before him, the the last few decades, Blair included, of enabling these criminals
Stubb is a piece of shit who happily formed a coalition with a far right party and desecrated a lot of FInnish public services that are being felt long after he left office, so he aint in much of a position to criticise the tories either.
Oh look, more anti-British propaganda to try and seperate the UK from rEU.
Brexit La La land unfortunately describes the British electorate though. Watch as the Tory’s get voted in again at the next GE.
Shame that Boris has been all talk and very little action towards this.
Boris delighted that Putin invaded and took pressure off his party in lockdown life style. He is thankful this country has laundered so much Russian cash he can seize enough to look like he gives a shit whilst keeping his best Russian pals free to pay for his next flat refurb.
And that’s why he’s an ex PM and Johnson very much isn’t.
‘Your role is special and your courage and your spirit are in stark contrast to the passivity of some other countries.’
Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov on Britain’s assistance to Ukraine during a press conference with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
Britain had already shipped thousands of NLAWs and trained 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the time Finland bothered to send them weapons at the end of February so who is leading exactly?
No-one seems to have taken any particular interest in the connections of him and his Party to Russian ‘oligarchs’ . The consequences of this ‘dirty’ money being used to influence UK politics far out weighs the so called ‘Partygate’ scandal but needs to be fully exposed for what it is ‘Subversion’ and the Tory Party seems to have the most to hide…
If Boris had his way, we’d be bending the knee to Putin right now. The only reason he’s not doing that is because it would guarantee our expulsion from NATO and having economic sanctions placed upon us that are far more crippling than our current Brexit deal.
But the UK HAS led Europe and if not the word in supporting Ukraine, its given equipment, money, and is heavily sanctioning russia, the rest of europe isn’t removing russian oil and gas, the UK is though. The UK is actually giving Ukraine what it wants and needs rather than just old scrap equipment, who is the leader that zelensky is having daily meetings with? Ye Bojo. Who is the country that zelensky time and time again has praised for the countries support towards his? Yeah the UK.
Say whatever you want about bojo but the UK IS a leader on the Ukraine-Russia situation.
Johnson’s latest Brexit blunder will certainly be remembered!
Finnish ex PM is right. The buffoon mini Trump is gaslighting the whole world. The fucker was at a Russian backed dinner as Putin’s troops started the war with Ukraine. Now they say “but the PM was only notified of the war at 4 PM!”.. which is a fucking facepalm defence, coz a) the PM needed to be notified of the war starting? Like, what, the idiot wasn’t the one talking about it for weeks? And b) tye fucking talk he gave at the dinner was at 8 pm… seriously, whatever the actual fuck is wrong with this clown and his fucking supporters?
It’s fucking embarrassing having this batch of Tories representing us. Not to mention all the actual crimes and crippling damage they’ve done to us.
34 comments
Article contents:
A former Finnish prime minister has dismissed claims Boris Johnson is leading opposition to Vladimir Putin as “illusion” and “utter rubbish”.
Alexander Stubb, whose country shares a 1,340km border with Russia, said only in “Brexit la la land” was the British PM seen as having “taken a lead globally”.
“This idea about ‘Global Britain’ is as true as ‘peaceful Russia’,” the conservative ex-leader said.
“Simply utter rubbish, to put it diplomatically. To claim that Boris Johnson ‘has taken a lead globally in standing up to Putin’ is an illusion only possible in Brexit la la land.”
His intervention comes after Mr Johnson sparked fury by likening Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian invasion to Brexit.
Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council, dismissed Mr Johnson’s comments at the Tory spring conference as offensive to Ukrainians, the British people, and “common sense” itself.
But Sajid Javid, the UK health secretary, endorsed claims Mr Johnson had taken a lead on television on Monday morning.
“When it comes to Boris Johnson and Ukraine, it’s hard to find any world leader that’s done more to support Ukraine at this time,” Mr Javid told the BBC Breakfast programme.
The UK has sent arms to Ukraine and sanctioned Russian individuals and entities – but has been criticised for being slower to crack down on Kremlin-linked money than Europe.
Britain is also the only major European country not to have a full open door policy for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, and has so far taken fewer refugees than its neighbours.
Mr Johnson will visit Brussels on Thursday for a Nato summit, but he has not been invited to attend an EU leaders’ summit on the same day.
His absence comes despite US president Joe Biden being expected to attend the meeting. The prime minister gave up his automatic seat on the European Council when he left the EU.
Mr Johnson told the Tory spring conference in Blackpool over the weekend: “I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time. I can give you a couple of famous recent examples.
“When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners.
“It’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.”
The irony that the actions of those desperate to feel patriotic pride, wave Union Jacks, and bang on about “Great” Britain are those who, in the last 6 years at least, have done more to embarrass and diminish us a nation than any other entity or event ever.
He thinks he’s Churchill, reality is he’s more like Mussolini.
Unfortunately he’s using the war as a nice little distraction from the chaos in his government.
It’s his Falklands moment. He’s appearing to look big and tough. But like everything he’s ever done, it’s just an act.
Edited for spelling.
To be fair, I will critique tories every chance I get because they’re a bunch of spineless, populist, wankers.
However, that being said – this time Boris genuinely has lead the pack in Europe.
The UK was sending Ukraine weapons before anyone else in Europe was, we were the one of the first to block Russians from our airspace while the EU lagged behind, we were the first to propose removing them from SWIFT whilst Italy and Germany said it wasn’t going to happen. We gave Ukraine a 4.6 billion dollar loan in like February to upgrade their naval capacity while the rest of the EU were calling us warmongers, and we also started a trilateral pact with Poland and Ukraine before this whole thing even started.
I’m all for calling Brexit a stupid idea, which it was and still is with no real benefits, but for this once the UK genuinely has been leading the way while all the other EU nations were following behind.
Well that’s the best statement about our Dick Head Leader I have heard.
The article is 95% content not related to this politician’s comments. It’s word salad.
It’s a running theme, isn’t it? Attempt to drum up domestic political support by destroying the UK’s relations with its neighbours. If there’s one thing these last years will have taught these governments then it is that it is impossible to separate a government’s policies from the rhetoric they employ towards their own people. If Mr. Johnson and his supporters keep insisting on this “struggle for freedom” narrative, while others are even less subtle about what the EU represents in this analogy, *and* they look at the UK’s behaviour these last five years, they will draw their conclusions. If the UK government keeps using the EU, which effectively is its member states’ governments, as the villain in their pantomime version of history, they will conclude that this also governs its public policy and strategy. This will subsequently prompt them to keep the UK at arms length, and to reduce cooperation in order to minimize the risk caused by an unreliable and potentially antagonistic neighbour. Incidents like these may seem inconsequential beyond the obvious insult to the people in Ukraine, but they do have a diplomatic impact beyond that, especially as they form part of a well known pattern. Words do matter, but apparently not to Mr. Johnson.
Well the Ukrainians themselves see Britain as being Ukraine’s closest ally after Poland and Lithuania, so I guess Ukraine is la la land too
Russians as Lords, quite literally. No one has done more to help Russia and destabilize the west than bojo. Brexit was a Russian operation, and conservatives licked their master’s hands as they knelt and served.
And yet polling shows the UK is Ukraine’ third most favoured country currently, with 1 and 2 being immediate neighbours.
Clearly doing something right.
The UK has led the way though, even as far back as 2014. Outside of maybe the US, no one was doing more for ukraine before this kicked off, and no one was as fast aa getting equipment and supplies sent.
Its simply a fact, regardless of what some random ex politician says. The US and UK led the way, and continue to play a major role. The only difference now is that everyone else woke and decided to finally do something.
Him and his cronies are making thos country even more of a laughing stock than ever before
This smells a lot like Russian propaganda you swine
In Brexit La La land and according to the official spokeswoman for the [Russian foreign ministry](https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/ukrainian-peace-negotiator-shot-dead-amid-claims-he-was-a-double-agent/news-story/3109299bd0ee408785154339f29eb4e5) two weeks or so ago, which carries a lot more weight than some ex-Finnish prime minister:
“The sanctions hysteria in which London plays one of the leading, if not the main, roles, leaves us no choice but to take proportionately tough retaliatory measures. London has made a final choice of open confrontation with Russia.
Such a development convinces us once more that Russophobia and the aim to undermine the Russian state are integral elements of Britain’s foreign policy.”
Can always trust the Independent to promote any Britain-bad narrative though, and 800 idiots and counting upvoting it.
then according to the ex-Finnish Prime Minister Ukraine must be located in “Brexit La La Land” because they view Britain as a much closer ally than they view anyone else in Western Europe
https://mobile.twitter.com/olivercooper/status/1505506743316619268?s=21&fbclid=IwAR0rdnEoAVttSn5ACXZ2FATVpUZwcxEnWh6JmFlodsp5936jVF9fZ27ea1E
Objectively Johnson is the fly in the ointment of American/Euro unity. I don’t see any other countries political parties or politicians claiming to be leading the world on Ukraine. Everyone with a brain knows its the USA, and we don’t get Biden blabbing his mouth off about it at every opportunity.
How many more times are the Conservative party prepared to let this clown make us an international laughing stock?
Danish ex-PM said the same thing to Nadim Zarhawi on BBC Question Time a few weeks ago and he nearly died on the spot with embarrassment.
It does seem weird to me
I interpreted it at the time as Johnson quite early on running around Europe shouting that the Russians were about to invade Ukraine the next week, simply as a way out of his Partygate crisis. A way to save his skin. To redirect his home audience away from Partygate and onto firm and competent world leading governance where Johnson went around having important meetings with important European leaders.
And, from what I remember, it caused a bit of panic at the time and the US had to point out at the time that the Russians weren’t actually imminently going to invade Ukraine, they were at least a month away
But Johnson lucked out, as he tends to (luck and skill, really), and Russia really did invade and he’s able to come across as this great genius leader. The Ukrainians absolutely love him because, from their point of view, he was the earliest and the strongest supporter of theirs. They get quite upset if you say that he did it (at least in the early days) as a way of saving his bacon
And even with the “lets get Europe off Russian oil and gas” thing that he was early and vocal on there’s a cynical side to it. We don’t use that much Russian gas but the Germans use a shitload of it. If Europe has to give up Russian gas it hurts countries like Germany more than it hurts us. Post Brexit anything that’s good for us, both as a way of saying “see, they’re weak and getting out was a good idea after all” and because they are now our nearest competitors
[removed]
I worry people will think he’s a good leader and ignore his tenure and the crusty bobble hats before him, the the last few decades, Blair included, of enabling these criminals
Stubb is a piece of shit who happily formed a coalition with a far right party and desecrated a lot of FInnish public services that are being felt long after he left office, so he aint in much of a position to criticise the tories either.
Oh look, more anti-British propaganda to try and seperate the UK from rEU.
Brexit La La land unfortunately describes the British electorate though. Watch as the Tory’s get voted in again at the next GE.
Shame that Boris has been all talk and very little action towards this.
Boris delighted that Putin invaded and took pressure off his party in lockdown life style. He is thankful this country has laundered so much Russian cash he can seize enough to look like he gives a shit whilst keeping his best Russian pals free to pay for his next flat refurb.
And that’s why he’s an ex PM and Johnson very much isn’t.
‘Your role is special and your courage and your spirit are in stark contrast to the passivity of some other countries.’
Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov on Britain’s assistance to Ukraine during a press conference with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
Britain had already shipped thousands of NLAWs and trained 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the time Finland bothered to send them weapons at the end of February so who is leading exactly?
No-one seems to have taken any particular interest in the connections of him and his Party to Russian ‘oligarchs’ . The consequences of this ‘dirty’ money being used to influence UK politics far out weighs the so called ‘Partygate’ scandal but needs to be fully exposed for what it is ‘Subversion’ and the Tory Party seems to have the most to hide…
If Boris had his way, we’d be bending the knee to Putin right now. The only reason he’s not doing that is because it would guarantee our expulsion from NATO and having economic sanctions placed upon us that are far more crippling than our current Brexit deal.
But the UK HAS led Europe and if not the word in supporting Ukraine, its given equipment, money, and is heavily sanctioning russia, the rest of europe isn’t removing russian oil and gas, the UK is though. The UK is actually giving Ukraine what it wants and needs rather than just old scrap equipment, who is the leader that zelensky is having daily meetings with? Ye Bojo. Who is the country that zelensky time and time again has praised for the countries support towards his? Yeah the UK.
Say whatever you want about bojo but the UK IS a leader on the Ukraine-Russia situation.
Johnson’s latest Brexit blunder will certainly be remembered!
Finnish ex PM is right. The buffoon mini Trump is gaslighting the whole world. The fucker was at a Russian backed dinner as Putin’s troops started the war with Ukraine. Now they say “but the PM was only notified of the war at 4 PM!”.. which is a fucking facepalm defence, coz a) the PM needed to be notified of the war starting? Like, what, the idiot wasn’t the one talking about it for weeks? And b) tye fucking talk he gave at the dinner was at 8 pm… seriously, whatever the actual fuck is wrong with this clown and his fucking supporters?
It’s fucking embarrassing having this batch of Tories representing us. Not to mention all the actual crimes and crippling damage they’ve done to us.