Former British PM: “History of Ukraine conflict would have been totally different if Zelenskyy hadn’t been there”

Johnson told CNN that Zelenskyy has been “absolutely outstanding” in his leadership. “He’s a very brave guy. I think the history of this conflict would have been totally, totally different if he hadn’t been there”, APA reports.

He added that “if Ukraine chooses to be a member of the EU, they should go for it. and I think it would be a good thing for Ukraine,” helping it achieve political and economic reform. Kyiv applied to join the bloc earlier this year.

Mr Johnson said: ‘The German view was at one stage that if it were going to happen, which would be a disaster, then it would be better for the whole thing to be over quickly and for Ukraine to fold. I thought that was a disastrous way of looking at it. But I can understand why they thought as they did.’

Mr Johnson also said the Italian government under Mario Draghi was ‘at one stage simply saying they would be unable to support the position we were taking’ – despite previously telling La Repubblica newspaper they had seen eye-to-eye on the issue.

He again linked the Italian reluctance to the nation’s reliance on Russian gas. But the former prime minister said the West quickly realised Putin could not be negotiated with and a united front was needed.

He said ‘the EU has done brilliantly’ since the invasion, adding: ‘After all my anxieties… I pay tribute to the way the EU has acted.’

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