London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Invaded people (in Ukraine, not in Iraq and Afghanistan of course) will be our judge (The British people will forget about the Partygate scandals), says Boris Johnson

Joke of the Century: Britain condemns invading of a sovereign country and the killing innocent civilians…
Boris Johnson held talks with Ukrainian Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko at Downing Street last week. The PM calls for a renewed effort from world leaders to tackle Vladimir Putin's "barbarous assault".

World leaders must mount a renewed effort to ensure Russia's "horrific" invasion of Ukraine fails, Boris Johnson has said.

Writing in the New York Times, the prime minister said "it is not future historians but the people of Ukraine who will be our judge".

Mr Johnson set out a six-point plan, including rapidly strengthening defences in Nato countries.

But Labour criticised the PM for not acting more quickly over sanctions.

Ahead of a series of meetings with international leaders, the prime minister said: "Putin must fail and must be seen to fail in this act of aggression.

"It is not enough to express our support for the rules-based international order - we must defend it against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules by military force."

The invasion was condemned by 141 nations at the UN General Assembly this week while 39 countries, co-ordinated by the UK, made the largest-ever referral for war crimes to the International Criminal Court.

But Mr Johnson is set to call on world leaders to make a "renewed and concerted effort" to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin, Downing Street said.

In his six-point plan to maintain pressure on Mr Putin, the prime minister said:

World leaders should mobilise an "international humanitarian coalition" for Ukraine
They should also support Ukraine "in its efforts to provide for its own self-defence"
Economic pressure on Russia should be ratcheted up
The international community must resist Russia's "creeping normalisation" of its actions in Ukraine
Diplomatic resolutions to the war must be pursued, but only with the full participation of Ukraine's legitimate government
There should be a "rapid campaign to strengthen security and resilience" among Nato countries

The prime minister is also expected to deliver his message at meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at Downing Street on Monday.

On Tuesday, he will host leaders of the V4 group of central European nations: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

Downing Street says these countries are already experiencing a humanitarian crisis, with 1.4 million people fleeing Ukraine to neighbouring nations in just 10 days. Mr Johnson said: "The world is watching."

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has warned Mr Putin not to "test" the UK.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Wallace said: ""History is littered with authoritarian leaders underestimating the wider West and the United Kingdom. He clearly underestimated the international community."

He added: "If we stick together and refuse to be intimidated then I believe he will fail."

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Labour fully supported the UK joining international efforts to help Ukraine, but he called on the government to move faster on sanctioning oligarchs and politicians linked to the Kremlin.

He said: "It is inexcusable that we have fallen behind the EU and the US on the number of individuals and entities sanctioned. Ministers must move faster, acting against Putin's cronies in days not months."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is calling on the government to work with him on new laws to prevent Russian oligarchs and other very wealthy people misusing the courts to avoid criticism or sanctions.

He wants legislation to prevent so-called strategic lawsuits against public participation (Slapp) - legal challenges which aim to drain the resources of opponents or intimidate them using the courts - which Sir Keir said he fears could be used to buy time to move oligarchs' money out of reach and avoid sanctions.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said she has received letters from lawyers representing people sanctioned by Britain threatening legal challenges, while Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has called such cases an "abuse of our system" and promised to address them.

It comes as the government says it is to change the law to make it easier to introduce sanctions against Russian oligarchs, after criticism the UK is acting too slowly.

Look who is talking :-)
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×