Kathrine Frich
Boris Johnson has positioned himself as one of Kyiv’s most vocal Western backers.
As prime minister, he was among the first world leaders to visit Kyiv after the invasion and has consistently argued that the West should move faster and go further in supporting Ukraine.
Even after leaving Downing Street, Johnson has remained deeply engaged in the debate over how Britain and its allies should respond to Vladimir Putin.
Now, as ceasefire efforts falter, he is calling for a dramatic escalation in Britain’s role.
He says the UK should deploy troops to Ukraine immediately, rather than waiting for any formal truce with Moscow.
Call for boots on ground
Johnson said Britain should place troops on the ground now, even before a ceasefire is agreed.
The former prime minister, who led the UK when Russia invaded nearly four years ago, argued that such a move could “flip a switch” in Vladimir Putin’s thinking and shift the strategic balance.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “We’ve always delayed needlessly. We’ve then ended up giving the Ukrainians what they have been asking for, and actually it’s always served to their advantage and to the disadvantage of Putin.
“I mean, the one person who suffers from escalation is Putin.”
Johnson stressed that British forces would not be deployed in frontline combat roles but instead positioned away from active fighting.
“If we can have boots on the ground after the war, after Putin has condescended to have a ceasefire, then why not do it now?” he said.
Ceasefire debate
Johnson questioned the logic of waiting for Moscow to agree to a truce before acting.
“If we are willing to do it in the context of a ceasefire, which of course puts all the initiative, all the power in Putin’s hands, why not do it now?
“There is no logical reason that I can see why we shouldn’t send peaceful ground forces there to show our support, our constitutional support for a free, independent Ukraine.”
His comments come after representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Geneva last week for talks aimed at ending the conflict.
No agreement was reached, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian negotiators of using delaying tactics.
Government position
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously indicated that up to 10,000 British troops could take part in a peacekeeping mission alongside European allies if a ceasefire were secured.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:
“We are proud of UK leadership on Ukraine, supporting the fight today and working to secure the peace tomorrow. It’s why this government is providing the highest ever level of military support, including a recent half-billion-pound air defence package just last week, accelerating £200m for the UK military to prepare for any Ukraine deployment, and working with over 30 nations through the UK-led Coalition of the Willing.”
Johnson has visited Ukraine multiple times since leaving office and remains one of the strongest voices within British politics advocating robust military backing for Kyiv.
Sources: BBC, The Sun.
