Ukraine: Shameful Johnson Is No Wartime Leader

Rob Woodward – TruePublica: The EU, made up of 27 member states, managed unanimously to decide on how to deal with the emergency of Ukrainian refugees before Boris Johnson and the very nasty spirited Priti Patel could put their heads together and think rationally on what to do. The EU response has been phenomenal. By contrast, Britain, led by Johnson is a response of rhetoric and bluster, where intentions were hidden in ambiguous words and it literally puts people’s lives in the line of fire.

To explain, here is one of Britain’s former Chief Prosecutors commenting on the Home Office response that Ukrainians with family in the UK can enter the UK:  “The government have now defined “family” to exclude an adult’s parents, their brothers and sisters and pretty much everybody else that Boris Johnson, Patel, Sunak and Truss would call “family” if it was their own. Even with a nation’s goodwill, they can’t even get this right. I despair.“

Yes, this government is actively and deliberately blocking desperate people from Ukraine, who are seeking shelter from Putin’s machine of death and access to safe shelter as the bombs drop – even with family connections in the UK.

Johnson rarely says anything meaningful – words are cheap. Here he is speaking yesterday – “Never in all my study, my memory of politics and international affairs have I seen so clear a distinction between right and wrong, between good and evil, between light and dark. And that is the real reason why Ukraine is our neighbour today.” In the next breath – he turns his back on them, knowing he has abandoned his duty to those in need. When campaigning for Brexit (against the EU) – Boris Johnson was branded a “Putin apologist” after he stated that the European Union had been “guilty of provoking the Russian invasion of Ukraine” back in 2014. This was yet another lie, of course. In that same speech, Johnson attacked the EU as a “force for instability and alienation” and compared it to the ‘Italian Mafia’. However, in this event – the EU has announced a package of 450m Euros alongside weapons, fighter jets, munitions and safe harbour to Ukrainians for three years without the need to apply for visas. It has also banned visas for Russian nationals.

The EU commission leader Ursula von de Leyan has seized the moment -“Ukraine is one of us and we want them in the EU.” This was in answer to the Ukraine president asking for membership.

Many entities are acting. Companies, not just countries all over the world are reacting and mobilising. Norway’s $1.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s biggest, will start shedding investments in Russia. BP is ditching its £2bn investment in Russia’s oil giant. Germany’s Daimler has just announced it will immediately cut ties with Russian truck and bus manufacturer Kamaz. And even little Luxembourg is sending anti-tank weapons.

Today – Russia’s Defense Minister has told President Putin that the nuclear triad is on ‘standby alert duty’ and has reinforced personnel. The world is horrified by the threat of global nuclear warfare. But even this is not enough for Johnson.

So far throughout this awful crisis, the Tories have been a lot tougher on Ukrainian refugees than they have on the Russian oligarchs who support Putin’s invasion.

If Johnson wants to really do something, he’s got to come clean about Tory party connections to Russian oligarchs, especially those linked to Putin and his regime. He has to purge the corrosive influence Putin and his cronies have on British politics – as if Brexit wasn’t enough. So many Tory MP’s are infected with dirty Russian cash-for-influence that anything less than a purge will simply not measure up. The Tory party is already immersed in allegations of corruption and police investigations. And cynically, Johnson’s announcements as a result of this world destabilizing moment will only be seen as an opportunity, to be used as a shield for his dishonesty and lack of courage.

Russian oligarchs and their families who have been granted ‘golden visas‘ should be told to leave. Let them deal with Putin. Their properties should be seized and Ukrainian refugees given access to them if somehow we cannot find immediate accommodation. And once this is over, sell these properties with the proceeds going to good causes. Anything Russian, no matter what it is – including imports of oil, gas and metals should be banned. Anything Russian should be immediately excluded from anything cultural like sporting competitions, art exhibitions, sponsorships and so on. The entirety of the Russian ambassadorial offices and its embassy should be closed and their staff sent packing – after all, they are not listening to anyone. Last year, the Czech republic found that Russian spying operations were halted when they kicked out its embassy staff. It was described as a ‘nest of spies.‘ Heavens only knows what it is in London given its success in infiltrating political life in Britain.

Indeed, only when the Russian people understand that their country stands alone as a direct result of Putin – will they stare at him and not us – and demand answers. In a way – it was something like this that started the Russian revolution. Then they acted to abolish its monarchy, how about ridding themselves of a tyrant and asking how democracy might help them in their quest for a better life. That event started with a military mutiny, perhaps this one might.

Perhaps Johnson could rid the House of Lords of the Russian born son of a KGB agent. Johnson’s decision to give Evgeny Lebedev a peerage was a bare-faced slap in the face of democratic decency. Lebedev is facing criticism after an investigation found he has made no contribution at all to Parliament since joining the House of Lords. No doubt he will perk up a bit when asked to vote against Putin, his cronies and the hunt for dodgy cash and the influence it has had. His included.

The Russian-born crossbench peer, who was made Baron Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia in November 2020, made no written or spoken contributions other than his maiden speech in May 2021. He has not voted at all. He has no right in a properly functioning democracy to be in a position to vote on issues of national security.

European countries are now banning Russian media from broadcasting and spewing out the propaganda of a murderous regime. Britain has done no such thing. Even money-hungry Google is acting. It is demonetizing Russian state media outlets and banning them from running ads – perhaps it has sparked its own original mission statement that it conveniently forgot years ago – ‘don’t be evil.’

The editor of the Financial Times is right though when he says – “In Ukraine’s (and the west’s) response to his barbarism, Putin is actively strengthening the spirit of liberal democracy. This is among the most potent instances of the law of unintended consequences I can recall. No wonder China is anxious.”

In the meantime, Johnson will say anything in his own interests. He is a shallow, vainglorious, egotistic charlatan. He is, as we are seeing right now, in fact, nothing more than a mirage of genuine leadership. He likes to make speeches, he likes to put on a uniform or wear a hard hat – and acting in his own interest. He doesn’t like doing what is right though or acting in the best interests of not just our own country but for what our forefathers fought and died for – democracy. We have seen this with his attack on the judiciary, on journalistic free speech, proroguing parliament and limiting our ability, soon – to exercise public protest.

 

 

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