-
Boris Johnson says Ukraine peace talks are doomed because of 'crocodile' Putin
The Today Online reported, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said any peace talks over Ukraine are likely to fail, as he compared holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiating with a crocodile.
The prime minister was speaking as he headed to India, where he will encourage his counterpart Narendra Modi to end its neutrality over the war in Ukraine. He played down the likelihood that India would end its longstanding ties with Russia.
Mr Johnson said dealing with Mr Putin was like "a crocodile when it's got your leg in its jaws" and added it was vital that the West continues arming Ukraine.
He said: "How can you negotiate with a crocodile when it's got your leg in its jaws? That's the difficulty that the Ukrainians face. We have just got to keep going with the strategy, keep supplying them with weapons."
Mr Johnson said that Mr Putin has made it clear that he wants to take more Ukrainian territory and could launch a renewed assault on the country's capital, Kyiv.
The UK continues to provide crucial defensive military aid to Ukraine. Our £450 million package will help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s horrific onslaught.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 20, 2022
We stand with Ukraine as it fights bravely against Russian aggression. pic.twitter.com/c3MzMk3i5h
Mr Johnson told reporters: "It is very hard to see how the Ukrainians can negotiate with Putin now given his manifest lack of good faith. His strategy, which is evident, is to try engulf and capture as much of Ukraine as he can and perhaps to have some sort of negotiation from a position of strength."
He said world leaders, including United States (US) President Joe Biden, agreed on a call this week that they would continue to supply Ukraine with weapons, including artillery, as Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine's East.
The Today Online noted that Ukraine and Russia have not held face-to-face peace talks since March 29, and the atmosphere has soured over Ukrainian allegations that Russian troops carried out atrocities in the town of Bucha near Kyiv. Moscow has denied the claims.
It added that Russia seized its first town in eastern Ukraine as part of a fresh assault this week that Ukrainian officials have described as the Battle of Donbas.
It should be noted that the UK Prime Minister arrives in India for a two-day visit, in which he is expected to give a fresh push to the proposed free trade agreement, boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and enhance defence ties.
Upon his arrival, Mr Johnson visited the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, whose philosophy of Satyagraha, conceived here, mobilised patience and compassion to change the course of history.
levantnews, todayonline
