Boris Johnson has urged China to get off the fence and join in global condemnation of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister said he believed some in Xi Jinping’s administration were having “second thoughts” about the neutral stance adopted by Beijing following Russia’s actions against its neighbour.
Despite Mr Johnson’s suggestion of a possible shift in attitude, there was fresh criticism of Nato on Saturday from China as Russian forces continued their bombardment of Ukrainian towns and cities. Mr Johnson used a Sunday Times interview to urge China and other neutral nations to line up against Russia.
He said: “As time goes on, and as the number of Russian atrocities mounts up, I think it becomes steadily more difficult and politically embarrassing for people either actively or passively to condone Putin’s invasion. There are considerable dilemmas now for people who thought they could sit this one out, who thought they could sit on the fence, and yes, I think that in Beijing you are starting to see some second thoughts.”
US President Joe Biden had a two-hour video call with Chinese President Xi on Friday but there was little evidence of any shift in Beijing’s stance. On Saturday, China’s vice foreign Le Yucheng blamed Nato, a “Cold War vestige”, for the war and criticised sanctions against Russia.
Leaders from the Nato alliance, including Mr Biden, will meet in Brussels on Thursday, with Mr Johnson suggesting it would be “extremely significant”, with the possibility of more pledges of support for Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. “People will want to do more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves,” Mr Johnson said.
“But I’ve got to stress it is very important that we don’t fall into the trap of seeming to stack up Putin’s argument to his own country that this is effectively a war between Russia and Nato; between Russia and the West. That’s not what is going on here.”
Earlier, Mr Johnson sparked outrage by comparing the struggle of Ukrainians fighting the Russian invasion to British people voting for Brexit. In a speech to the Tory spring conference in Blackpool on Saturday (March 19), the Prime Minister said it is the "instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom", with the Brexit vote a "famous recent example".
The comparison was criticised by Tory peer Lord Barwell, who pointed out Ukraine is seeking to join the European Union. Former European Council president, Donald Tusk, said the Prime Minister’s words “offend Ukrainians, the British and common sense”. There was also a rebuke from senior French diplomats, including the country’s ambassador in the UK.
Mr Johnson continued: “I can give you a couple of famous recent examples.
“When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners. It’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.”
The other example given by the Prime Minister was the British people’s willingness to voluntarily get vaccinated against Covid-19 because they “wanted to get on with their lives” and “were fed up with being told what to do by people like me”. Lord Barwell, however, who served as Theresa May’s chief of staff in Number 10, said voting in the 2016 referendum “isn’t in any way comparable with risking your life” in a war with Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Writing on Twitter, he said: “Apart from the bit where voting in a free and fair referendum isn’t in any way comparable with risking your life to defend your country against invasion + the awkward fact the Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom to join the EU, this comparison is bang on.” Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee Tobias Ellwood said Mr Johnson’s comparison “damages the standard of statecraft” being exhibited in the response to the invasion.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson was accused of being a “threat to national security” following reports he was at a Tory party fundraising event on the night Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister gave a short speech at the event as Russian forces prepared to launch their assault.
The Sunday Times reported that donors at the event included Lubov Chernukhin, the wife of a former Russian deputy finance minister. Mr Johnson reportedly gave an introductory speech at the event, which began at around 8pm on February 23 at Spencer House, around a mile from Downing Street.
The Prime Minister was present for around 20 minutes according to No 10. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Communities Secretary Michael Gove were also at the event, the Sunday Times reported.
Back in Downing Street, at around 4am on February 24, Mr Johnson was woken with the news that Russia had launched the invasion that the West had feared for weeks. A No 10 spokesman told the newspaper: “The Prime Minister briefly attended this event which was a longstanding diary engagement.
“Fundraising is a legitimate part of our democratic process and it is not unusual for the Prime Minister, or any political leader, to attend such an event.” Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said: “On the eve of war the Prime Minister should have been completely focused on national security – not trying to get cash from the wife of Putin’s former finance minister.
“Boris Johnson’s party has accepted over £6.5m from donors linked to Putin’s murderous regime. He should be cleaning up our politics, not courting these people for more money. Boris Johnson is a threat to national security.”
In other developments:
– UN organisations confirmed there have been more than 847 civilian deaths since the war began, though they concede the actual toll is likely much higher.
– Former prime minister David Cameron travelled to Poland to deliver supplies to refugees fleeing the fighting.
– Transport Secretary Grant Shapps banned a Cessna jet from leaving London Biggin Hill Airport because of suspected links to Russia.
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