LONDON (AP) 鈥� Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the U.K. and its European allies should immediately to Ukraine to show Russian President Vladimir Putin that Western nations are truly committed to the nation鈥檚 freedom and independence.
Speaking ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia鈥檚 full-scale , Johnson told the BBC that the troops should be sent to peaceful regions in non-fighting roles. The comments from Johnson, who was one of as Britain鈥檚 leader during the first months of the conflict, were contained in excerpts of an interview that will be broadcast on Sunday.
If adopted, the proposal from Johnson would mark a major policy shift for the U.K. and its allies. While the 鈥渃oalition of the willing鈥� is to send troops to Ukraine, such a deployment would only take place after an agreement to end the fighting and would be designed to police the ceasefire.
鈥淚f we are willing to do it in the context of a ceasefire, which of course puts all the initiative, all the power, in Putin鈥檚 hands, why not do it now?鈥欌�� Johnson said. 鈥淭here is no logical reason that I can see why we shouldn鈥檛 send peaceful ground forces there to show our support, our constitutional support for a free, independent Ukraine.鈥�
Western military planners have avoided discussing such a move publicly out of concern that Russia would see it as an escalation of the conflict.
Putin in September rejected Western proposals for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, saying that any troops deployed to the country would be 鈥渓egitimate targets.鈥�
But Johnson said Putin shouldn鈥檛 be able to dictate terms to Ukraine and its allies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about whether Ukraine is a free country or not,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a vassal state of Russia, which is what Putin wants, then obviously it鈥檚 up to Putin to decide who comes to his country. If it鈥檚 not, then it鈥檚 up to the Ukrainians.鈥�
When asked about Johnson鈥檚 comments, Britain鈥檚 Ministry of Defense said the government was continuing to work with the coalition of the willing to prepare for the deployment of troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire.
鈥淭he multinational force Ukraine under UK leadership will secure peace for the long term, with the Prime Minister being clear that we will put British troops on the ground following the end of hostilities,鈥� the ministry said in a statement.
Johnson said the war in Ukraine was the result of the West鈥檚 failure to support Ukraine after the in 2014, as well as its inability to punish Bashar al-Assad for against his own people in Syria and the debacle of the .
鈥淚 think Putin was emboldened by a Western failure in Syria to punish Assad for using chemical weapons,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 think Putin was further emboldened in February 2022 by what he鈥檇 seen in Afghanistan, and a sort of general sense that the West was on the back foot. He鈥檇 seen those appalling pictures of Americans being forced to flee Afghanistan and the UK pulling out as well, and that really did embolden him.鈥�
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