“It’s Bonkers to Say Ukraine Started the War” – but Trump is playing the long game, explains Boris Johnson.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has strongly rejected any suggestion that Ukraine provoked Russia’s invasion, calling such claims “bonkers”, “Orwellian”, and “an inversion of the truth.”
Writing in the Daily Mail, Johnson dismissed what he described as “victim-blaming rubbish” and slammed diplomatic efforts to soften language on Russia’s role in the war. He accused those watering down the G7 communique of engaging in historical revisionism, stating that it is indisputable that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
Rebuffing Claims That Ukraine Started the War
Johnson ridiculed any attempts to shift blame onto Ukraine, comparing such arguments to blaming the victim in Jawsfor attacking the shark. “Saying Ukraine ‘started the war’ is like blaming the defenceless young woman at the beginning of the movie Jaws and claiming that she takes off her clothes and skips into the moonlit sea with the specific intention of attacking the great white shark.”
He also dismissed Russian propaganda that NATO provoked the war, stating categorically: “We didn’t poke the bear. What balls.”
“Everybody can see that Volodymyr Zelensky is not a dictator but a democrat courageously defending his country against an aggressor,” Johnson wrote. “He doesn’t shoot journalists. He doesn’t poison his opponents or send them to the Gulag. That’s Putin.”
Johnson also revealed that, prior to the war, Ukraine’s NATO membership was nowhere near reality. “Ukraine’s chances of joining NATO – then – were about as good as a snowball’s chance in Hell,” he wrote, pointing out that France and Germany would have blocked it.
Trump’s Strategic Play
While some have raised eyebrows at Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Ukraine, Johnson insists that Trump does not actually believe Kyiv started the war. Instead, he argues that Trump is “playing chess, not checkers”—using a strategic approach to push for peace.
Johnson claims Trump is pursuing three key objectives:
- Forcing European nations to increase defence spending – Trump has long argued that NATO allies do not contribute enough to their own security.
- Pushing Ukraine to sign a minerals deal – an economic agreement that could strengthen Kyiv’s position in negotiations.
- Bringing Putin to the negotiating table – because, as Johnson writes, “Putin has the most to lose” from a prolonged war.
A Battle Between Democracy and Autocracy
Johnson paints a stark picture of the war as a global struggle between freedom and dictatorship. He warns that Russia’s alliance with Iran, North Korea, and China makes this a fight far bigger than Ukraine alone.
“The Ukrainians are fighting an axis of Russia, Iran, North Korea, with China lurking in the background,”Johnson wrote, warning that a Russian victory could encourage other authoritarian states to follow suit, particularly in Taiwan.
Trump’s Role in Securing Peace
Despite Trump’s controversial rhetoric, Johnson expresses confidence in his ability to broker peace. “As it happens, I believe this President has the ability to produce peace – peace through strength,” he wrote.
Johnson argues that Ukraine’s fight is not just about its own sovereignty but about the future of Western democracy. He insists that Trump understands this and will work towards a peace deal that keeps Ukraine free.
“The Ukrainian fight is also the fight of the Western world.” And Trump knows it, Johnson concluded.
