Boris Johnson Has Sparked Outrage By Comparing The Ukraine Conflict To Brexit
Boris Johnson has been chastised for equating the struggle of Ukrainians opposing Russia's invasion with those who voted for Brexit in the United Kingdom.
He stated in a speech that Britons, like Ukrainians, have the instinct "to choose freedom," citing the 2016 Brexit vote as a "recent example."
Politicians in the UK and Europe have been outraged by the remarks.
Former European Council President Donald Tusk described the remarks as "offensive."
Lord Barwell, a Conservative peer, said voting in a referendum was "in no way similar" to risking one's life in a war, while Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called it a "insult" to Ukrainians.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, the prime minister encouraged China to strongly denounce the Russian invasion. He speculated that Beijing was reconsidering its neutral posture.
In a speech to the Conservative Party's spring conference in Blackpool on Saturday, Mr Johnson compared the Ukrainian struggle to Brexit.
"I know that the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, have an instinct to choose freedom every time," he stated. I can think of a few well-known recent examples.
"I don't believe the British people voted for Brexit in such big numbers because they were unfriendly to foreigners in the least."
"It's because they desired the freedom to do things their own way."