Allow the Russian President Vladimir Putin succeed in its invasion of Ukraine would have “absolutely catastrophic” consequences for the world, warned the British prime minister Boris Johnson in an interview with CNN this Sunday (26).
Speaking with anchor Jake Tapper on the “State of the Union” show CNN hours after Russian missiles struck Kiev, destroying what had been relative calm in the Ukrainian capital, Johnson urged the Americans, British and others in the Western that they remain determined to punish Moscow, despite the effect the war has had on global oil prices. Petroleum .
“I would just tell people in the United States that this is something that America historically has done and has to do, which is to enhance peace, freedom and democracy,” Johnson said.
“And if we let Putin get away with it and just annex, conquer sizable parts of a free, independent, sovereign country, which is what he is about to do… then the consequences for the world are absolutely catastrophic.”
Johnson is joining other leaders of the G7 in the Bavarian Alps, Germany, this week for conversations centered on the conflict in Ukraine which became an attrition conflict as it entered its fifth month.
Leaders are expected to discuss new methods of punishing Moscow, including a ban on new gold imports from Russia that the President of the United States, Joe Biden announced on Sunday.
But doubt hangs over the summit as to whether the West can maintain its resolve to punish Putin amid soaring energy prices – and the political backlash the spike has caused leaders at home.
Johnson, who traveled to Kiev twice to meet with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said allowing Russia to succeed in its invasion would set a dangerous precedent.
“You can see the consequences, the lessons that will be learned,” he said. “This is what ends up being disastrous, not just for democracy and for the independence of countries, but for economic stability.”
The costs to Western nations of defending Ukraine — including the billions of dollars in security assistance provided by the United States — are “a price worth paying for democracy and freedom,” Johnson said.
The G7 summit provided something of a refuge for Johnson, who faces serious political headwinds in the UK . The fallout from the “Partygate” scandal – in which events that broke lockdowns during the pandemic were held in Downing Street – continue to reverberate, and questions about Johnson’s leadership have only intensified, even as he has said he is interested in seeking a third party. mandate.
Last week, he suffered a blow to his authority after his Conservative Party lost two parliamentary elections in a single night. However, the prime minister has so far resisted calls for a change in his policy approach and recently said he would not undergo a “psychological transformation”.
In Germany, Johnson sought to frame his problems as a sign that democracy was working when Tapper questioned him about the cascade of criticism.
“I think the great thing about democracy is that leaders are under scrutiny. And I have, you say I have problems at home – that’s a good thing. I have critics in my case, I have people arguing,” he said.
And he used Putin, who exists in a largely frictionless political environment, as an example of how leaders in undemocratic systems can wield power.
“Do you really think that Vladimir Putin would have launched an invasion of another sovereign country if he had people to listen, arguing properly, if he had an opposition committee?” asked Johnson.
When it comes to American democracy, Johnson was similarly optimistic — despite the violent attempt to bring her down on January 6, 2021. He declined to blame the former president Donald Trump , with whom he cultivated a close relationship: “I will use the right to remain silent in this case,” he said, adding that “in principle, we should not talk about each other’s domestic politics. This is an issue for people in the United States.”
Scenes of violent chaos at the United States Capitol that day shocked Americans and the world. But Johnson insisted that the breach did not spell the end of American democracy.
“I think the reports of the death of democracy in the United States are grossly, grossly exaggerated. America is a brilliant nation to me and will continue to be so,” he said, pointing to Biden’s efforts to unite the West as evidence of a system still in place.
“I think the very fact that Joe Biden has stood out the way he did shows that America’s instincts are still in the right place,” he said.
Still, Johnson acknowledged that the violent riot on Capitol Hill had alarmed observers abroad.
“There were some weird, weird scenes,” he said.
“Weird?” asked Tapper. “People died.”
“I mean, from the outside, it was pretty weird,” Johnson said. “But I don’t believe that American democracy is under serious threat. Far from it. I continue to believe that America is the greatest global guarantor of democracy and freedom.”
Source: CNN Brasil
