ALBAWABA - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened to kill him.
Johnson said that Putin had told him, in a phone call before the outbreak of Russia's war on Ukraine nearly a year ago, that he does not want to harm him, but that if he decided to, it will take a single moment to fire a missile in his direction.
The details were published as a short summary in the BBC documentary, "Putin vs the West", which highlighted Putin's conversations with various world leaders.
Ukraine: Boris Johnson says Putin threatened him with missile strike https://t.co/UpW4glbVGi
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 29, 2023
The circulating information did not reveal whether the alleged threats were real and if Putin was serious about them.
Putin vs the West TV review — world leaders face up to failures to stop Russian aggression https://t.co/GQQ5RVRsTP
— FT World News (@ftworldnews) January 30, 2023
But the ex-premier warned that the invasion would lead to Western sanctions against Moscow and a greater presence of NATO forces on Russia's borders.
In February 2022, Johnson visited Kyiv, where he met the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Johnson then affirmed his country's commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, stressing that the United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
Johnson and Zelenskyy warned then that any Russian incursion into Ukraine would be a major strategic mistake and would come at a huge cost.
The Russian president has not yet commented on Johnson's statements.
