London, September 5, 2024 – In a bizarre turn of events, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been caught in a prank call where he expressed his desire to command a foreign legion in Ukraine. The incident came to light when a video of Johnson’s conversation with a Russian prank caller was published on the Russian video-sharing platform RuTube.
The Prank Call
According to the British newspaper the Daily Mirror, the video, which was released on September 4, features Johnson engaging in a conversation with a caller impersonating a French economist named Jacques Attali. The caller, identified as one of the notorious Russian prank bloggers,沃万 (Vovan) and 列克苏斯 (Lexus), managed to dupe the former PM into discussing sensitive military and political issues.
During the 18-minute call, Johnson, who served as the UK’s Prime Minister from 2019 to 2022, expressed his strong support for Ukraine. He said, I am a great enthusiast for Ukraine. You can imagine, I often wish I had military genius, if I were a general, I could go to Ukraine to command a foreign legion, but I am not. I’ve never had that kind of training.
Military Strategy and Ukraine’s Support
Johnson also touched upon the issue of Western support for Ukraine, suggesting that the UK and other allies should allow the Ukrainian military to strike targets within Russia and Crimea. He argued, Now, we should provide them with ATACMS missiles. We should remove the range restrictions. We tell them they cannot attack Russian forces within Russia, while Russian forces are amassing to attack Ukraine, this is madness… We should help them destroy the Kerch Bridge. We should give the Ukrainians the necessary funds or means to make Crimea vulnerable.
The comments come as Ukraine continues to face ongoing conflict with Russia, with the latter having annexed Crimea in 2014. Johnson’s stance is in line with his known support for Ukraine and his criticism of Russia’s actions.
The Prank and Its Consequences
The video description on RuTube reads, Our new prank star is the former Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary of the UK, Boris Johnson… He agreed to talk to us pretending to be Jacques Attali. It continues, Johnson continues to take a harsh stance on Ukraine, saying the country needs to mobilize on a large scale: ‘They have not drafted many young people yet.’ The West should allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike any target within Russia, starting with bombing the Kerch Bridge.
When discussing the possibility of a ceasefire in the conflict, Johnson stated, I regret to say, I think we are involved in this, we are supporting the Ukrainians, but the reality is – it’s a terrible tragedy – but the Ukrainians are fighting for us. I think once we openly send ground troops, it becomes a different type of conflict, a very different type of conflict. He added that while he has a preference for high-risk situations, he believes sending ground troops would escalate the conflict unnecessarily.
Johnson also suggested that negotiations are possible, but only if Russia is defeated first. The Ukrainians must have some sense of victory because I think that’s the only way they can engage in any negotiations.
This is not the first time Johnson has been targeted by Russian pranksters. In 2018, he fell victim to a similar prank where he discussed UK-Russia relations and the Syrian conflict with someone posing as the new Prime Minister of Armenia.
Conclusion
The prank highlights the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia and the complexities of international relations. While Johnson’s comments reflect his strong support for Ukraine, the incident serves as a reminder of the potential risks of engaging in sensitive conversations without verifying the identity of the interlocutor. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the international community remains divided on how best to support the embattled nation.
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