The Times reports that the British Government is actively pushing Zelensky not to pursue peace. The Times is Britain’s fourth-largest newspaper, but it is generally considered the most prestigious, highest-quality news. The other top newspapers focus more on entertainment and celebrity gossip.
According to The Times, the administration of Boris Johnson is telling Zelensky to keep fighting until he achieves a total victory over Russia, which they allege is possible. They urge Zelensky not to listen to other world leaders who advocate for a negotiated peace and swift end to the war.
Boris Johnson wants Ukraine to keep fighting until Russia relinquishes all ties and support to the separatist regions of Crimea and the Donbas. If this is even possible, it would mean a prolonged war that could last years. Of course, it is not Johnson’s people dying or his cities being destroyed.
A senior government source said there were concerns that allies were “over-eager” to secure an early peace deal, adding that a settlement should be reached only when Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.
In a phone call at the weekend, Boris Johnson warned President Zelensky that President Putin was a “liar and a bully” who would use talks to “wear you down and force you to make concessions”. Zelensky is also understood to have raised concerns about the progress of the talks and whether Moscow was exploiting them to reposition and strengthen its forces.
“Some of our allies may be too eager for him [Zelensky] to settle,” a government source said, singling out France, Germany and the US.
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Ministers believe that there must not be an “easy off-ramp” for Putin, while Johnson has said that he wants allies to intensify sanctions until all Russian forces have left Ukraine, including Crimea.
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Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of Britain’s armed forces, said that Putin had already “lost” the war through a series of “catastrophic misjudgments”.
It is no secret that many politicians in the UK and USA have actively encouraged Ukraine to ignore the 2015 Minsk Agreement, to ignore their previous commitments to neutrality, and seek an aggressive posture with Russia. In 2014, British politician Nigel Farage even accused fellow EU politicians of recklessly provoking Russia by meddling in Ukraine.
In 2019, Zelensky ran for president on a campaign of fighting corruption and ending the war in Donbas. The US State Department attacked Zelensky as “the puppet” of billionaire “oligarch” Ihor Kolomoisky. However, once elected, Zelensky never fulfilled his campaign promises and was soon embraced by the US State Department.
.@Nigel_Farage Nailed It On Ukraine & Russia In 2014
“Have we taken leave of our senses? Do we actually want to have a war with Putin?” pic.twitter.com/ViUvzYIRmD
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) March 31, 2022
