In statements to Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” hours after Russian missiles hit Kyiv, destroying what had been relatively calm in the Ukrainian capital, Johnson urged Americans, British and others in the West to maintain the determination to punish Moscow, despite the effect. the war has had on world oil prices.
“I would just tell the people of the United States that this is something that the United States has historically done and must do, and that is to promote peace, freedom, and democracy,” Johnson said. “And if we let Putin get away with it, and only annex it, he will conquer large parts of a free, independent and sovereign country, which is what he is willing to do … then the consequences for the world they are absolutely catastrophic. “
Johnson joins other G7 leaders in the Bavarian Alps this week for conflict-focused talks in Ukraine, which has become an acute attrition conflict as it enters its fifth month.
Leaders are expected to discuss new methods of punishing Moscow, including a ban on new imports of gold from Russia that U.S. President Joe Biden announced Sunday. But the upside of the summit is whether the West can maintain its determination to punish Putin amid soaring energy prices, and the political backlash that the rise has provoked from home leaders.
Johnson, who has traveled twice to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said allowing Russia’s success in its invasion would set a dangerous precedent.
“You can see the consequences, the lessons that will be learned from it,” he said. “This is what is ultimately disastrous, not only for the democracy and independence of countries, but for economic stability.”
The costs to Western nations of defending Ukraine – including billions of dollars in security assistance provided by the United States – is “a price worth paying for democracy and freedom,” Johnson said .
The G7 summit has provided a kind of refuge for Johnson, who faces severe opposing political winds at his home in the UK. The aftermath of the “Partygate” scandal, in which Covid blockade events were held on Downing Street, continue to resonate, and questions about Johnson’s leadership have only intensified although he has said he is interested in seeking a third term.
Last week, Johnson suffered a blow to his authority after his Conservative Party lost two by-elections in a single night. However, so far, the prime minister has resisted calls for change in his political approach and recently said he would not undergo a “psychological transformation”.
In Germany, Johnson tried to pose his problems as a sign that democracy worked when Tapper asked him about the cascade of criticism.
“I think the best thing about democracy is that leaders are under scrutiny. And yes, you say I have things at home, that’s good. I have people in my case, I have people arguing,” he said.
And he used Putin, who exists in a largely frictionless political environment, as an example of how the leaders of anti-democratic systems can wield power.
“Do you really think Vladimir Putin would have launched an invasion of another sovereign country if he had had people to listen to, arguing properly, if he had had a committee of deputies?” Johnson asked.
As for American democracy, Johnson was equally optimistic, despite the violent attempt to overthrow it on January 6, 2021. He refused to blame former President Donald Trump, with whom he cultivated a close relationship: “I’m going to take the fifth on this,” he said, adding, “In principle, we should not talk about the domestic politics of others. This is for the people of the United States.”
Scenes of violent chaos at the U.S. Capitol that day shocked Americans and the world. But Johnson insisted that the rape did not mean the demise of American democracy.
“I think the reports on the death of democracy in the United States are very, very exaggerated. America is a bright city on a hill for me, and it will continue to be so,” he said, noting Biden’s efforts to unite the West. as proof of a system that still works.
“I think the mere fact that Joe Biden has climbed on the plate the way he has done it shows that America’s instincts are still very much in the right place,” he said.
Still, Johnson acknowledged that the Capitol’s violent riot alarmed observers abroad.
“There were some weird and unattractive scenes,” he said.
“Strange?” Tapper asked. “People died.”
“I mean, looking at it from the outside, it was pretty weird,” Johnson said. “But I don’t think American democracy is seriously threatened. Far from it. I still believe that America is the ultimate global guarantor of democracy and freedom.”