Boris Johnson’s former communications director, Goto Hari, recounted that Johnson, during a meeting with his advisers, “launched a violent attack on Emmanuel Macron, describing him as stupid, saying that he was an eccentric, and a sycophant of Putin.”
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson harshly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, accusing him of being a “Putin sycophant”, Johnson’s former communications director Guto Hari confirmed Thursday.
In early March 2022, with tens of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their country as a result of the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, British media and several European countries criticized the UK for hosting a small number of refugees.
“Macron criticized Boris very directly, and his comments made the front page of the Guardian newspaper, and it was a Friday I think,” Johnson’s former communications director said in a new episode published Thursday of his “Unpresidented” podcast.
And he recounted that Johnson, during a meeting with his advisors, “launched a violent attack on Emmanuel Macron, describing him as stupid, saying that he is an eccentric and a flatterer of Putin.”
“We must take off the gloves,” Harry quoted Johnson as saying, “we must charge the frogs” (Frogs, an adjective used to demean the French).
The United Kingdom and its leaders have declared support for Kiev since the start of the conflict with Russia, questioning the French President’s attempts to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin not to invade Ukraine.
Harry explained that the visit of the French President to Moscow a few weeks before the start of the invasion, made Boris Johnson alienate him.
But Harry confirmed that the two leaders then reconciled.
“They drank whiskey together at the G7 summit and said to each other: ‘My friend, nice to meet you Emmanuel,'” Johnson said, inviting Macron to London “so we can show the world that our camaraderie is alive.”
A spokesman for Boris Johnson declined to comment on the statements made by his former adviser, explaining that the former prime minister did not participate in this podcast.
According to official figures, the UK has issued about 230,000 visas to Ukrainians since the start of the war.
