Former UK Prime Minister Johnson says West's Afghanistan withdrawal emboldened Putin in Ukraine

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the West's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan contributed to emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

In a BBC interview ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Johnson called for Britain and its European allies to immediately deploy non-combat forces to Ukraine after a ceasefire to demonstrate commitment to the country's freedom and independence. He said there is "no logical reason" not to send peacekeeping ground forces to show support for a free and independent Ukraine.

Johnson linked Putin's aggression to perceived Western weaknesses, including the failure to support Ukraine after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, the lack of punishment for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons, and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He specifically noted that Putin was emboldened by the "horrific images" of the forced U.S. and British evacuations from Afghanistan, creating a sense that the West was in a position of weakness.

The UK's Ministry of Defence responded that it continues to work with a volunteer coalition on plans to deploy forces post-ceasefire, stating that a British-led multinational force would secure long-term peace and that British troops would be stationed there after hostilities end. Western military planners have avoided public discussion of such deployments due to fears Russia might see them as escalation. Putin rejected Western proposals for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine in September, calling any deployed forces a "legitimate target."

Hasht-e Subh reported Johnson emphasizing Western failures after Crimea and the U.S. exit from Afghanistan as reasons Putin felt Europe and America were weak, strengthening his resolve to continue the war.