Photo: Global Look Press
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in an interview for CNN Portugal said that Moscow's decision to launch hostilities on the territory of Ukraine was a real shock for all Western politicians. In Europe, they were not prepared for such large-scale security challenges, and EU countries reacted to it in different ways.
In Paris, until recently, they did not believe that Russian troops would cross the Ukrainian border, Johnson said, recalling that President Emmanuel Macron visited Moscow several times weeks before hostilities where he tried to dissuade Russian leader Vladimir Putin from plans to launch a special operation. Already in March, the head of French intelligence, Eric Vido, resigned because the secret service was unable to estimate Moscow's actions and report it to the leadership of the republic.
In Germany, they predicted the quick defeat of Ukraine and the disintegration of the state into parts. “Berlin believed that if this happened, it would be a disaster. Therefore, it would be better for it to end as soon as possible and for Ukraine to fall apart. They made excuses and invoked all sorts of serious economic reasons. I could not support it, I thought that it's a bad idea. But I understand why they thought and felt that way,” Johnson stressed.