'Even children are laughing at him': Boris mocked by Russia as tensions rise over Ukraine
1 February 2022, 20:49 | Updated: 1 February 2022, 21:09
Boris Johnson has been mocked by Russian state media as the "most disliked, disrespected and ridiculed character in Britain".
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It comes as Mr Johnson was forced to delay a phone call with Vladimir Putin on Monday while he carried out damage control following the publication of Sue Gray's Partygate report.
He later flew away briefly from his problems on Tuesday, visiting Ukraine for talks over tensions with Russia.
However, state-owned TV station Russia 1 reportedly said the "anti-Russian hysteria" was a way to distract from "domestic problems".
Meanwhile, another Russian state owned station - NTV - is reported to have said: "Boris Johnson is today the most disliked, disrespected and ridiculed character in Britain.
"Even schoolchildren are laughing at him."
Amid the stand-off between the West and Russia over Ukraine, with Mr Johnson claiming Britain will hit Moscow with sanctions the "moment the first Russian toecap crosses further into Ukrainian territory".
It has been estimated that Russia has some 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, which Mr Johnson described as possibly the greatest act of hostility "towards the Ukraine in our lifetimes".
However, Russia continues to insist that it will not launch an attack.
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After a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Johnson revealed that he had pledged a further £88 million to help "build Ukraine's resilience and reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies".
He also assured Mr Zelenskyy that the UK stood "shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine" during the crisis.
The PM added at a joint press conference: "We have done all this and prepared all this not as a show of hostility towards Russia, but as a demonstration that we will always stand up for freedom and democracy and Ukrainian sovereignty in the face of aggression.
"It is vital that Russia steps back and chooses a path of diplomacy, and I believe that is still possible."
A joint agreement between the UK, Poland and Ukraine is also reported to be in the works.
Ex-Diplomat warns sanctions won't work on Putin amid Ukraine crisis
Despite his attempts to present a strong stance in the East, Mr Johnson has faced ridicule on a global scale amid the Partygate scandal, with publications across Europe and America seizing the opportunity to slam the leader.
The PM has refused to give up on his premiership though, attempting to push forward and prove himself to other world leaders as well as his own MPs.
It comes after it was revealed that he is considering offering Nato more troops across Europe to strengthen borders, previously saying: "This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin – we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our Nato allies in the face Russian hostility.
"If President Putin chooses a path of bloodshed and destruction, it will be a tragedy for Europe. Ukraine must be free to choose its own future.
"I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our Nato allies on land, at sea and in the air."
