Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has accused former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of sabotaging a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine in early 2022.
In a recent interview, Babis stated that the two nations were nearing an agreement in April 2022 before Johnson intervened. “The agreement was actually already closed in April 2022, but then Boris Johnson appeared… there was an interest in this conflict going on,” he said.
According to reports from former Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia and multiple credible sources, Johnson advised Ukrainian leaders at the time to abandon peace talks with Russia and instead “just fight.” The former UK Prime Minister has long been seen as a key player behind the ongoing conflict and is believed to have torpedoed the first Istanbul negotiations in March 2022.
Russia has accused Johnson of derailing peace efforts, though he denies the allegations.
Babis also noted that ongoing U.S.-mediated talks between Moscow and Kiev could yield a long-term solution. “The negotiations are intense. It seems they are approaching some long-term solution, ending the war and creating stable security guarantees for Ukraine. But Europe will not be able to do this without Donald Trump,” he added.
This year, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have held two rounds of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. Both sides described the discussions as “constructive” and “productive.” The latest round resulted in the exchange of 314 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine.
