Boris Johnson told how Germany wanted Ukraine to lose in 2022
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a senior official in the German chancellor’s office had suggested that Ukraine would suffer a swift defeat. According to Johnson, his interlocutor believed it would be better if the war ended quickly with a Russian victory, but the British politician himself strongly disagreed with that position.
Boris Johnson recounted the conversation in an interview on the School of War podcast. He said the meeting took place shortly before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Johnson stated that a high-ranking official from the German chancellor’s office asked whether it would be better for the war to end quickly with Ukraine’s defeat.
“A senior official in the German chancellor’s office told me before the invasion: ‘Wouldn’t it be better if it all ended quickly, with the Ukrainians losing, and that was that? I strongly disagreed—and I still believe he was wrong,” Johnson quoted his interlocutor as saying. The former prime minister did not name the official. Nor does his statement imply that the German chancellor personally expressed such a position.
Johnson Criticizes the Approach of Berlin and Paris
According to the British politician, the German official’s position was not a coincidence. He believes that before the start of full-scale war, Germany and France generally viewed the Russian-Ukrainian conflict differently than the United Kingdom. After 2014, Berlin and Paris largely sought to resolve the situation through negotiations and the Normandy Format. They viewed the conflict primarily as a political dispute that could be settled diplomatically.
Johnson believes that this approach failed to take the Kremlin’s actual plans into account. According to him, even before the invasion began, the United Kingdom had warned its allies that Russia was preparing for a large-scale war. British intelligence, Johnson claims, had received information about orders for Russian battalion tactical groups to advance to the front lines. In other words, he said, London viewed the situation not as just another phase of political confrontation, but as Russia’s preparation for a major offensive.
Germany Did Not Support Preemptive Sanctions
Johnson also criticized Germany’s position regarding potential sanctions against Russia prior to the invasion. According to him, Germany and France refused to agree to impose tough preemptive sanctions that could have sent a signal to Moscow even before the war began.
Separately, Johnson mentioned Germany’s military aid to Ukraine on the eve of the invasion. Specifically, Berlin announced the delivery of 5,000 protective helmets. Against the backdrop of Russia’s preparations for a major war, such aid seemed insufficient. At the same time, it is important to note that this is Johnson’s assessment and his characterization of the allies’ policies during that period.
Johnson acknowledges why such a position might have arisen
Despite the criticism, Johnson acknowledged that he now better understands why some Western politicians might have wanted the war to end as quickly as possible. According to him, after four and a half years of full-scale war, a huge number of dead and wounded, and widespread destruction, the desire to stop the bloodshed is understandable.
But he has not changed his assessment of events. Johnson still believes that Ukraine should not have agreed to defeat in order to bring the war to a quick end. In his view, Ukrainians were ready to defend their country, and the desire to fight for one’s homeland is one of the strongest human emotions. That is precisely why, the former British prime minister believes, betting on Ukraine’s swift defeat was a mistake. Johnson made these remarks in an interview with the School of War podcast.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are working on their own framework for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. European diplomats fear that the Donald Trump administration may sideline them from the process that will determine the future peace agreement.
