Johnson reacted with profanity after being informed of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Pravda Ukraine
Despite Western intelligence saying that Ukraine would fall within days of the Russian invasion, Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, believed that Putin had made a mistake and the Ukrainians would fight.
Source: new episode of Ukrainska Pravda’s podcast 24.02: Reconstruction (English translation to follow shortly)
Details: Johnson says that UK intelligence was absolutely sure that Putin was planning something ridiculous. On 23 February, the United Kingdom intercepted many signals and conversations in which Russian commanders told commanders of tactical battalion groups about moving into position.
Johnson also recalls receiving a message about the attack from the UK national security adviser.
Quote from Johnson: “They said Putin attacked, an invasion had begun. And I must have said something terrible in English, I won’t repeat it verbatim here, but I let profanity escape my lips.
Later, I spoke with President Zelenskyy. He said that the Russians were approaching from all sides, he described what was happening in the east, in the north. You have to remember that people really thought that Ukraine would not last very long at this stage.”
Details: Johnson also says that he did not believe in the information from military intelligence that Ukraine would fall in a few days.
Quote: “Military intelligence told me and our friends in Washington that Ukraine would be unable to hold out very long. But I want to tell you something. I didn’t think they were right. Because I didn’t understand how they could be right. I have visited Ukraine and knowing that it is a huge country, I knew that Ukrainians would not want to be conquered by the Russians.
It is obvious that I am not a general, I am not a tactician, I am not a military. But my instinct told me that they had made a mistake. So I was desperate to ensure we got you everything you needed as soon as possible.”
For more information about how the fronts arose and moved on 24 February, who and how heroically stopped the advance of the Russians, how Ukrainian cities and the country as a whole recovered from the first shock and went on the defensive, listen to the podcast “24.02: Reconstruction” (English translation to follow shortly)
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