Germany preferred a quick defeat of Ukraine to a long war.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told how European countries reacted to the prospect of the Russian Federation invading Ukraine.

As Johnson stated in an interview with CNN Portugal, France “denied” the possibility of an attack by the Russian Federation. Instead, the German government initially preferred a quick military defeat of Ukraine to a prolonged confrontation.

He added that the attitude of the states to the full-scale invasion of Russia on February 24 was very different. However, later European countries united around Ukraine and provide it with unwavering support to this day.

“This event was a huge shock… We saw Russian battalion tactical groups being drawn up, but different countries had very different views on that. At a certain stage, the German position was that when this happened it would be a disaster, but it was better , if it all ended quickly,” Johnson said.

According to the ex-prime minister of Great Britain, Germany referred to “various economic justifications” for such a vision. At the same time, “the French all objected until the last moment.”

In addition, Johnson criticized Italy’s response to the threat of a Russian invasion. He noted that the country’s government, led by ex-Prime Minister Mario Draghi, “at the initial stage simply said that they would not be able to support the position we were taking” due to their huge dependence on Russian energy resources.

At the same time, after the February attack on Ukraine, the attitude towards Russia in the world changed. The world has also become convinced that it is impossible to negotiate with Putin. Johnson added that since then “the EU has done a brilliant job” in its confrontation with the Russian Federation.

“After all my worries… I pay tribute to the way the European Union acted. They were united. The sanctions turned out to be tough,” Johnson said.

At the same time, he emphasized that Zelensky showed himself to be an “absolutely outstanding” leader.

“He’s a very brave guy. I think the history of this conflict would be very, very different if he wasn’t there,” Johnson said.

The war in Ukraine: the role of Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson, as Prime Minister of Britain, was remembered by Ukrainians for his steadfast support of the Ukrainian people at the beginning of the confrontation. In addition, he was one of the first to visit Kyiv after the beginning of the Russian invasion.

In August 2022, during a visit, Boris Johnson noted that you cannot negotiate with a bear that eats your leg, talking about the possibility of negotiations with the Russian Federation. The British prime minister also spoke out against attempts by certain foreign leaders to save Putin’s face.

However, Johnson did not stop supporting Ukraine even after leaving the post of British Prime Minister. At the end of October, the media reported that Boris Johnson may create a new fund to support Ukraine and restore its war-ravaged economy.