Johnson says he warned Putin about sanctions before special operation in Ukraine

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the details of the conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine in February 2022. His words are quoted by the Telegraph newspaper.

The British politician said he had warned the Russian leader that the West would impose “tougher sanctions” if Russian troops entered Ukraine. In February 2022, Johnson also said that such actions would only increase Western support for Ukraine and lead to NATO expansion near the borders of the Russian Federation.

“He said, ‘Boris, you are saying that Ukraine is not going to join NATO in the near future. What time period are you talking about?’ And I replied: “Well, she does not plan to join NATO in the foreseeable future. You know this very well,” the ex-prime minister of Great Britain shared the details of the conversation with Putin in a BBC documentary, which will be released on January 30.

Russia’s special operation in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin called the protection of the inhabitants of Donbass, as well as the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, its goals. During the special operation, Russian troops took full control of the LPR, as well as most of the DPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Subsequently, these territories became part of Russia.

Against the backdrop of the start of the special operation, the United States, Great Britain and the EU countries imposed large-scale sanctions against the Russian Federation, which affected many sectors of the economy, including energy, the high-tech sector, aviation, the banking industry, the mining industry, the automotive industry, etc.

At the same time, the Russian authorities have repeatedly said that the West failed to achieve its goal and bring down the country’s economy. On December 15, 2022, during a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared about unjustified calculations to “crush” the Russian economy with the help of sanctions. According to him, Western countries failed to collapse the ruble and “provoke destructive inflation” due to the concentration of Russian business and the solidarity of the country’s citizens.

On December 22, during a press conference, Putin notedthat Russia passed 2022 “quite confidently”. January 11, the head of state once again emphasizedthat nothing happened to Russia that “the enemy predicted” for her. Putin pointed to the composure of the citizens of the Russian Federation and their readiness for challenges.