Boris Johnson ‘held unofficial talks with president of Venezuela in February’

Johnson also reportedly discussed the conditions for normalising relations with the UK, which does not accept the legitimacy of Maduro’s administration. Photograph: PA Images/Channel 4

Boris Johnson flew to Venezuela in February for unofficial talks with its autocratic leader, Nicolás Maduro, according to reports.

The former prime minister spoke to the Venezuelan president about the war in Ukraine, amid concerns that the socialist republic could supply weapons or military support to Russia, according to the Sunday Times.