Boris Johnson compares Vladimir Putin to the 'fat boy in Dickens' and says he won't use nuclear weapons

Boris Johnson has said Vladimir Putin will not use nuclear weapons, comparing the Russian president to “the fat boy in Dickens” who wants to “make our flesh creep” with hollow threats.

The former prime minister was speaking at a breakfast event on Ukraine at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he was introduced as a “legendary figure” in Ukraine.

Asked what he thought was going through Mr Putin’s mind, Mr Johnson warned against spending too much time obsessing about the Russian leader or worrying about the escalation of the conflict.