"Fight for freedom" - Boris Johnson compares Ukraine war with Brexit

Created: 2022-03-20Updated: 2022-03-20 11:38 am

By: Delia Friess

Boris Johnson draws parallels between the Ukraine war and Brexit.

Criticism is not long in coming.

London – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson* has made a questionable comparison between the Ukraine conflict* and Brexit.

Johnson compared the Ukrainians' fight against Russia* with Britain's exit from the EU*.

"I know that the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine*, is always to have the freedom to choose," Johnson said on Saturday (19.03.2022) at his Conservative party's spring conference in Blackpool, northwest England.

As an example of the comparison, he cited the vote in Great Britain* for Brexit* in 2016 with 52 percent of the votes.

"When people voted for Brexit in such large numbers, I don't think they did it because they were hostile to foreigners, but because they wanted to be free," said the Prime Minister, adding after a lengthy pause: "... ..to do things differently and to be able to decide for yourself in this country”.

UK: Boris Johnson compares Brexit to Ukraine conflict

The Prime Minister also said: "It is the invincible strength of this country that, by and large and within the law, we believe that people should be free to do whatever they want as long as they do not harm anyone else."

That's called freedom.” Johnson hinted that the UK's freedom appeals to people fleeing the war in Ukraine* or political repression in Russia*.

"We just want to be free and that's why talented people are fleeing Russia right now," he said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a Conservative Party conference in Blackpool on March 19, 2022.

© PAUL ELLIS / afp

According to the BBC, the comments have caused annoyance among politicians in both the UK and Europe.

Donald Tusk, Polish politician and former President of the European Council, called the comments insulting.

Tusk tweeted: "Boris Johnson compares the struggle of the Ukrainians to the British vote for Brexit.

I can still remember the enthusiasm of Vladimir Putin* and Donald Trump* after the referendum.

Boris, your words offend the Ukrainians, the British and common sense.”

Ukraine conflict: Johnson's comparison with Brexit triggers international criticism

Guy Verhofstadt, former Belgian Prime Minister and the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, called the settlement "crazy", according to the BBC.

Conservative politician Lord Barwell said that standing in a referendum was "in no way like risking your life" in a war.

According to the BBC, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also criticized Johnson's speech.

Johnson's choice of words was an "insult" to Ukrainians.

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Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves even called on Johnson to apologize to the Ukrainian people and the British people.

Reeves: "It is extremely distasteful and offensive to compare the struggle for freedom and the aggression of the Russian state with the decision to leave the European Union," she said.

Johnson is also still under pressure because of the so-called "Party Gate".* Photos of Johnson partying with party friends during the strict lockdown in the middle of the Corona* pandemic have leaked out.

But not only Johnson, but also the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss drew questionable comparisons at the event of her party, the British Torries.

In her speech, she mentioned Great Britain's commitment to the British-Iranian dual nationals recently released from detention in Iran* in the same breath as British attempts to renegotiate the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Northern Ireland protocol was negotiated and ratified by Great Britain as part of the Brexit agreement and is intended to secure peace. In an interview with the Times published on Saturday, Truss had again threatened to partially override the protocol.

In this case, a trade war between Great Britain and the EU is feared.

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