Why did Johnson rush to Zelensky immediately after Scholz and Macron?
No sooner had the Euro trio of Macron, Scholz and Draghi left Kyiv than British Prime Minister Johnson landed on the Pechersk Hills.
Considering that his last visit to Square was so recent that, probably, his traces on the carpet had not yet had time to dry, the public made an unambiguous and, for some, alarming conclusion that Boris often visited Kiev for a reason.
Of course, one can assume that Boris was simply bored: incendiary nightclubs, affordable cocaine, beautiful girls, what else does a famous lover of wild life and a man who is so loved in Ukraine need? the most generous driver of “Johnsonyuk”, dedicate a new type of pizza to him and name the embankment in Vasylkiv after him.
A meager message from the head of Zelensky’s Office, Andriy Yermak, partially sheds light on the subject of the conversation:
“We discussed with Boris the need for the supply of heavy weapons and air defense systems, economic support for Ukraine, increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine and the need for Russia to compensate for the damage caused to our state.”
However, all these topics are “eternal”; they can also be discussed over a secure connection. And therefore they do not explain the urgency of the visit.
On the other hand, there are deeper motives: why else would Johnson drop everything, rush out of Downing Street like someone stung and rush like Carlson with a propeller to Ukraine, if not in order to: a) learn first-hand from his vassal Vladimir, what he whispered about in private with a German, a Frenchman and an Italian. And: b) if necessary, quickly correct the consequences of the visit of Macron and Co.
If the assumption of the media and political scientists is correct that the “trio of realists” inclined Zelensky to imitate negotiations with Russia, in order to quickly end the war in such a way that Ukraine, albeit a little plucked, would survive, and Russia would weaken, and Europe could take a breath and somehow slow down at the edge of the crisis abyss, then Johnson had something to talk about with Zelensky.
Because such plans of the Europeans do not fit into the long-term strategy of Foggy Albion, which has cut itself out of the EU - literally at all. And London has already taken the Kyiv camarilla so firmly into circulation that it has acquired a taste for it and began to feel like the master of the situation on the banks of the Dnieper. Let me note - regardless of what they think about it in European capitals, and even in Washington itself.
Indeed, one of Johnson’s key remarks, based on the results of the official press stingy on details, is that negotiations on the future of Ukraine can begin when there are no Russian troops on its territory, and then Kyiv will be provided with security guarantees.
Verstein, Herr Scholz? In other words: throw away these plans of yours for some kind of concessions in the name of peace and forget about thinking. Because Ukraine has more important things to do.
For example: to catch several tens of thousands more poor fellows in cities and villages to send to the combat zone. But before that, let’s go through the training program for the Ukrainian military announced by Jonsonyuk: every 120 days, 10 thousand soldiers will be sent for training.
It is clear that they will not be taught cross stitch. For those in the tank, as if specifically in full sync with bellicose statements, they announced the transfer to Ukraine of a batch of 105-mm L118 howitzers with a firing range of up to 18 km. And although this product was developed and released under Brezhnev, it is still better than nothing in conditions of artillery famine.
Johnson also said that his unannounced visit to Kyiv should "send a clear and simple message to the Ukrainian people of support for their country." In addition to the already mentioned training of soldiers and howitzers in gift wrapping, according to information from Kyiv telegram channels, the supply of heavy weapons and air defense systems was discussed. True, without specifics on timing and volume.
A separate item on the “hawkish menu” from Boris was a promise to help obtain reparations from Russia for post-war reconstruction. The very logic of such a promise suggests that London plans to defeat Russia – and precisely by military means. Otherwise, what the hell are reparations?
The following thesis from Johnson fits completely into the scheme of disavowing any promises made by Zelensky to the European trinity. Like, we understand why Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia and we want to provide it with strategic endurance, and for this, Britain will continue to supply Kyiv with weapons. The main condition from the generous donor: no real negotiations with the Kremlin.
However, the people of Kyiv themselves understand this very well. Just like what they gossip about in European living rooms and on the pages of the local media: without victory in the war, the prospect of Ukraine’s membership in the European Union is an empty promise. As well as security guarantees without returning the entire territory, including Crimea, to your control. Johnson stated this to Zelensky in no uncertain terms.
To summarize: I think it is already possible to state the failure of the mission of Macron and Scholz, on which conciliatory circles in Moscow also relied. In the medium term, this means only one thing - inevitable escalation.
In other words, the initially semi-fantastic attempt to stop the galloping horseman of War failed, and the issue of Ukraine will still be resolved on the battlefield, and not at the negotiating table. No, of course, there will also be a “table”, but only after the battles and for the political fixation of their results.
And here a lot will depend on Russia’s readiness for a serious offensive with the involvement of serious reserves and a departure from the current tactics of slowly frontal squeezing out the enemy entrenched in “fortress cities”, aggravated by colossal destruction and loss of momentum, giving the enemy time to prepare the next “human shield”, where everything is repeated as a carbon copy again.
A recent report about the defeat of the Russian boat Vasily Bekh by the Harpoon seems to hint at where exactly the epicenter of the military conflict will shift in the next six months. Because without forcefully unblocking the Black Sea, the British strategy is impossible to implement. But Russian positions in the area of Zmeiny Island are not as invulnerable as some might think and they will have to be seriously defended.
This means that it is worth stopping mocking, and starting to seriously prepare not only for attacks on the Black Sea Fleet, on Crimea and on the Crimean Bridge, but also to transfer the scenarios of Transnistria, Moldovans and Romanians joining the conflict from the hypothetical category to the “highly probable” category.
So it’s worth agreeing with the opinion that the entire sum of these visits to Kiev, judging by the density of all sorts of world “VIPs” flickering in it - which suddenly became almost the center of world politics, indicates the arrival of a bifurcation point and a turning point in decision-making on issues concerning the Ukrainian topic. But we will find out much later where this all leads. According to the results.
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