Johnson: Putin threatened me with death shortly before the invasion of Ukraine

The former prime minister has claimed that the Russian leader told him “I don't want to hurt you, but with a rocket, it would take only a minute” in an extraordinary “ ” that took place in February after he visited Kiev.

Johnson, who became the chief supporter of the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the months following Russia's invasion, confessed this claim to BBC Two, seeing how the West faced Putin in the pre-war years.

The former prime minister recalled that during his visit to Kiev, he warned Putin that an invasion of Ukraine would be catastrophic and that there would be stricter Western sanctions on Russia if he did so.

Johnson also said that he told the Russian leader that escalation would only cause Western states to increase support for Ukraine, meaning <x0 most NATO, not less NATO” on Russia's borders.

He said, "Boris, you say Ukraine will not join NATO soon. What will happen soon? Well, it will not join NATO for a predictable future. You know very well this”, Johnson said about calling Putin.

He threatened me at one point and said: Boyris, I don't want to hurt you, but with a rocket, it would only take a minute or something.

I think from the very quiet tone he was taking, from the kind of secession he seemed to have, he was just playing along with my efforts to force him to negotiate. ”

We remember that earlier this month Johnson paid a surprise visit to Ukraine amid renewed review of his personal finances.

The former prime minister said it was a key “privileged” to be invited to the war-torn site by President Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he had a close working relationship during his time in office. /aleu