Boris Johnson slams 'f****** idiot' Vladimir Putin's imperial ambitions as 'Russia's empire is over'

12 January 2025, 15:29 | Updated: 12 January 2025, 15:32

Boris Johnson has blasted Vladimir Putin as a "f****** idiot" over his flatlining imperial ambitions for Russia in a scathing interview.

Speaking to Baltic news outlet Delphi, the former prime minister ​​attacked the Russian president for his Ukraine invasion and threats to other nations in the region. 

"What Putin is doing is archaic and barbaric, and he needs to understand that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, none of these countries are part of the Russian imperium anymore, and nor is Ukraine,” he said.

Mr Johnson later added: "It's over, over, over, over, no more empire Vladimir, you f***ing idiot, excuse my language.”

The former Conservative PM likened Russia’s falling empire to Britain’s, arguing countries should accept when times have changed. H

He also urged world leaders to renew efforts to help Ukraine join NATO to scupper Putin’s hopes of invading again. 

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“People have stopped talking about it. And I think that’s a great, great loss, because the West is retreating again,” Mr Johnson added.

He argued "we have to be much more decisive", adding that "we will not solve the Ukraine problem without Article 5 guarantees or long-term Nato membership.”

This is not the only global conflict the former prime minister has spoken about publicly since leaving Downing Street. He formerly stepped down as an MP in 2023. 

Speaking to LBC in October, shared his thoughts on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war near the one-year anniversary of the conflict breaking out. 

Mr Johnson told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that "too many people have forgotten the full horror" of the October 7 attacks that left 1,200 people dead.

Many of the hostages of the 250 taken by Hamas over a year ago remain unaccounted for.  Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas and return the remaining hostages.

The country's government has been heavily criticised for the tens of thousands of people killed in its retaliatory war in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.

Separately Israel has also launched a bombardment and ground incursion over its northern border into Lebanon, in a bid to suppress Hezbollah and stop the strikes on its own northern regions that have displaced tens of thousands.

Mr Johnson said that his "heart bleeds" for the people of Gaza and Lebanon.

But he insisted that "you have got to face the reality that Israel is trying to deal with two sets of people who want to exterminate them and their country."