Boris Johnson’s post-premiership crusade continues. The former PM has today attacked Nato for being too soft on Ukraine’s accession. The alliance decided earlier this week that any invitation would be handed out only once ‘conditions are met’ (Svitlana Morenets has more here).
Johnson writes in his Daily Mail column:
No country is in greater need of Nato membership. All the Alliance needed to do was to set out a timetable — not for instant membership; that makes no sense as long as the war is live — but for membership as soon as victory is won.
It comes after an interview with CNN earlier this week where Johnson said there was ‘no excuse or reason to continue faffing around’ on whether Ukraine should join Nato. It’s a popular, though by no means majority view in the West. There is concern that a premature invitation for Ukraine to join Nato would mean a more direct contest between Russia and the western alliance.
Boris has also set some clear daylight between him and Sunak. The past few months have shown that Sunak is less gung-ho on Ukraine than Johnson. First, there were reports that Sunak had asked for an ‘audit’ into the UK’s support for Ukraine. Then, he took several months to agree with sending F-16 jets to Ukraine. Now, the Prime Minister is trying to temper the White House, and is opposing the transfer of cluster bombs to Kyiv.
It’s a Churchillian position for Johnson to hold. Will No. 10 take his interventions seriously, or turn over the page?
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