Russian ambassador: Johnson’s fall is just reward for ‘belligerent’ policy on Ukraine
By Jake Cordell
LONDON (Reuters) – Russia’s ambassador to Britain mentioned on Thursday that Boris Johnson’s fall was a simply reward for a “belligerent” anti-Russian coverage of assist for Ukraine whereas ignoring the financial wants of the British individuals.
“He concentrated an excessive amount of on the geopolitical scenario, on Ukraine,” Andrei Kelin, Russian ambassador to Britain, advised Reuters in an interview in London.
“He left behind very a lot the nation, individuals, state of the economic system, and that is what has introduced this consequence,” Kelin mentioned in English. “After all, we would like somebody who is just not so antagonistic or belligerent.”
Johnson, the face of the 2016 Brexit marketing campaign who gained a powerful electoral victory in 2019 earlier than main the UK out of the European Union, introduced he was quitting on Thursday after he was deserted by ministers and most of his Conservative lawmakers over a sequence of scandals.
“Persons are affected by excessive costs, excessive taxes,” Kelin, 65, mentioned of Johnson’s legacy. “Guarantees by the federal government haven’t been fulfilled.”
Hovering meals costs pushed British shopper value inflation to a 40-year excessive of 9.1% in Might, the best fee out of the Group of Seven nations and one which underlines the severity of the nation’s cost-of-living crunch.
Johnson, he mentioned, had modified throughout his tenure as prime minister: Johnson as overseas minister below Theresa Might and Johnson as prime minister have been, he mentioned, “two totally different individuals.”
He mentioned Johnson had backtracked on an preliminary willingness to work with Russia, saying he blundered right into a “strategic mistake” by going so laborious in his assist for Ukraine.
“I can not say that he was a pal of Russia,” Kelin mentioned.
In an interview at his grand nineteenth Century residence in west London, Kelin mentioned he was not hopeful a change of management would have any influence on Britain’s coverage in direction of Russia or Ukraine.
He criticised Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and International Secretary Liz Truss as missing understanding of the scenario in Ukraine.
“They don’t seem to be very a lot acquainted with Russian politics and don’t actually realise the explanations for what is occurring,” he mentioned.
In a message to whoever does takes over from Johnson, Kelin mentioned: “The chief of the nation ought to focus not solely on worldwide affairs, however by itself nation and its personal economic system initially.”
(Reporting by Jake Cordell; modifying by Man Faulconbridge)
