British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged Russia’s heroic role in defeating Nazism in Europe, but called its actions in Ukraine a “mistake” that did not have a clear strategic goal *
Russia played a heroic role in the defeat of Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler, but it is unlikely that it will be able to win in Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a conversation with the Evening Standard.
“Russians have the right to celebrate their heroic role in the defeat of Nazism,” he said.
At the same time, the head of the British government called Russia’s actions in Ukraine a “mistake” that did not have a clear strategic goal. In his opinion, it is “impossible for Russia to win” in the fighting that began in Ukraine.
Johnson, along with other Western leaders, has repeatedly criticized the Russian special operation. At the same time, in April, he admitted that Russia could win in Ukraine. “The sad thing is that this is a real possibility,” Johnson said. He also expressed the opinion that Russia has a huge army, and also suggested that the fighting in Ukraine could continue until the end of 2023.
On May 8, the day when the end of World War II and the liberation of the continent from Nazism are celebrated in Europe, the Big Seven (G7: USA, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan) issued a statement in which they said that Russia should not be allowed to win the Ukraine.
“We are obliged to do this for the sake of the memory of all those who fought for freedom during World War II, to continue fighting for it today for the sake of the people of Ukraine, Europe and the world community,” the text of the document says.
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The G7 online meeting was attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who was assured of solidarity and support by the Big Seven.
Commenting on the G7 statement, Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said that the Western countries recognized the successes of Russia by their determination to “prevent victory”. He also expressed the opinion that Moscow “destroyed” plans for NATO expansion to the east. At the same time, at the end of April, Finland announced plans to apply for NATO membership in the coming weeks, and Sweden plans to take a similar step. The Times wrote that both countries could become members of the alliance in the summer.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a special operation on “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine on February 24. He also explained its need to protect the population of Donbass from “genocide” by the Kiev authorities. The Ukrainian authorities, in response to the special operation, declared martial law and general mobilization.
At the end of March, the Ministry of Defense announced the fulfillment of tasks in the Kiev and Chernihiv directions and announced that the main task of the Russian military is the complete liberation of Donbass.
At the same time, Moscow and Kiev are negotiating a peaceful settlement. The last face-to-face meeting of the delegations took place at the end of March, when the Ukrainian side handed over a number of proposals to the Russian side, including on the neutral and nuclear-free status of Ukraine, as well as security guarantees for Kiev, which do not affect Crimea and Donbass.
Later, the Russian authorities sent Ukraine reciprocal proposals, but, as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, there was no reaction to them. The fact that negotiations with Kiev have reached an impasse was also reported by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On May 9, the head of the delegation at the talks with Ukraine, Assistant to the President of Russia Vladimir Medinsky, said that the dialogue in the online format continues, but for a new meeting, more specifics are needed.
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