Boris Johnson, failed PM, War leader?
Boris Johnson is once again banging the war drum on Ukraine certain, he says, that based on Western and US ‘intelligence’ a Russian invasion is imminent. Anyone who remembers the 45 minute story of the Iraq War will spot quickly that such claims have a purpose but are not reality based. Putin might well invade but not simply because the CIA manufactures stories about it.
Until very recently Johnson looked as if he would have to resign as PM a complete failure. Now he is posing as a war leader. Below is the conclusion from an Observer analysis on the Ukraine. The Observer is obsessively pro-EU and would probably back war if it occurs. However in the meantime Simon Tisdall both calls out Johnson’s warmongering and underlines his actual role in matters- as a nodding dog for the White House and the Pentagon
Britain’s emphasis on muscular deterrence has come at the expense of diplomacy. It has contributed almost nothing to peace-making efforts. When Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, met Lavrov in Moscow, their talks ended in an icy standoff.
Johnson has gratuitously undermined Macron’s Moscow initiative while Ben Wallace, the UK defence secretary, spoke disparagingly of a “whiff of Munich”. Meanwhile, the government has yet to enforce effective measures to curb Russian money-laundering in London.
All else aside, the Ukraine crisis has brutally underscored Britain’s diminished international influence abroad. Separated by choice from the EU, the UK is now viewed in Russia (and much of Europe) as little more than a cheerleader and errand boy for America.
When Johnson asked Biden what else the UK could do in a phone call last week, the US president replied: “We’re not going anywhere without you, pal.” That summed up Britain’s war to date. The rule of thumb for post-Brexit foreign policy: ask politely what Washington wants, then follow directions.
Simon Tisdall, The Observer 20th February
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