Boris Johnson, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was a miscalculated move.
Speaking on Monday at the 16th Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe lecture in Lagos, Johnson said Putin would suffer defeat as a result of his actions.
He said the Russian president was threatened by Ukraine’s democratic growth and feared that the Kremlin would rise against him in protest.
“An indispensable freedom is the right to choose those who govern you and the right to remove them from office – it’s called democracy and it’s very precious, and it works, and it’s under attack the whole time,” Johnson said.
READ ALSO: INEC Set New Dates For Kebbi, Adamawa Elections
“Why did Vladimir Putin decide to launch his evil and criminal onslaught on Ukraine, triggering the worst war in Europe for 80 years? Because he could see that the Ukrainians were choosing a different path. They were growing towards an open liberal democratic system, a different system from the one he was permitting to the Russian people and you can see that there was a risk in this for him.
“And as Ukraine succeeded and aligned ever more closely with Western democracy, the Russian people would themselves demand change and that Putin’s own position would be under threat. He miscalculated so badly and failed to see the heroic resistance of the Ukrainians.”
READ ALSO: INEC Set New Dates For Kebbi, Adamawa Elections
The former UK prime minister added that Putin’s miscalculation was bordered on the fact that he was surrounded by people who failed to give him unbiased advice.
Trending video of the day;
Photo Credit: Getty
