Boris Johnson declares Putin must fail in Ukraine but engaging Russia in direct conflict 'not sensible'

Boris Johnson declares Putin must fail in Ukraine but engaging Russia in direct conflict 'not sensible'
8 April Boris Putin
Jamie  Micklethwaite

By Jamie Micklethwaite


Published: 08/04/2022

- 13:15

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:36

The Prime Minister exclusively told Philip Davies and Esther McVey on GB News how Britain was helping Ukraine fight back against Russia

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told GB News that we have to make sure Vladimir Putin fails in his bid to conquer Ukraine.

Speaking exclusively to Philip Davies and Esther McVey, Mr Johnson told how Ukraine was ready to fight until the end to repel Putin's attack.


While stating that engaging Russia in direct conflict "would not be sensible", the Conservative Party leader detailed what Britain would be doing to help the Ukrainians fight back against Putin.

He said: "We've got to make sure Putin fails in his catastrophic attempt to conquer, subdue, destroy another country, a neighbouring Slavic country.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
GB News

"The UK is not in the business of engaging itself or NATO in direct conflict with Russia, that would not be sensible, but what we can do is give the maximum economic political and military support to Ukrainians to defend themselves.

"What this war has revealed is that Putin was fundamentally wrong. He said Ukraine wasn't really a proper country and that it should be part of Russia.

"That's proved to be diametrically opposite of the case, the Ukrainians love their country, they will fight to the end for their country, there is no way Putin can succeed. That is the brute unarguable fact of the case."

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK was freezing the assets of Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, and Credit Bank of Moscow, banning all new investment in Russia and targeting eight more oligarchs.

Britain is also ending all imports of Russian coal as well as oil by the end of the year.

Sanctions have also been imposed on around 370 high profile individuals linked to Putin's regime including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
GB News

The Government has also stepped up military support for Ukraine, armoured vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and thousands of missiles.

And around 12,000 people had arrived in the UK under Ukraine visa schemes as of Tuesday, according to Home Office figures.

The PM added: "We've already given visas to almost 30,000 people and the number is climbing quite fast.

"It will continue to grow, British people have shown amazing generosity, warm-heartedness.

"200,000 homes families open for Ukrainians to come here and we will help them get here as fast as we can.

"What the Ukrainians really want is to live in Ukraine and what those women and children want is to be back in their homes."

Despite the Prime Minister's claims, the application process for Ukrainian refugees to enter the UK has been slammed.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has even apologised for the hold-up, saying: “It takes time to start up a new route.”

The requirements to house Ukrainian refugees has also been questioned, with Nigel Farage highlighting how a London architect was told his plush mansion wasn't suitable to house a family currently sitting on a church floor.

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