Boris Johnson Made A Film About Ukraine And Explained How To Defeat Putin

The former British prime minister took on an unusual role.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped away from national politics, leaving the House of Commons in 2023 and Downing Street even earlier, four years ago. Analysts assess the chances of his return as minimal due to his long-standing reputational issues and the Conservative Party’s overall crisis. In Ukraine, memories of him are gradually fading amid the war, although the famous “Good afternoon, everybody” during Johnson’s walk with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and armed guards through an empty Kyiv at the start of the full-scale war will forever remain in the memory of Ukrainians, writes “Gordon”.

In April 2026, Johnson visited Ukraine again and filmed a documentary about the war. In a recent episode of the School of War podcast with American journalist Aaron McLean, the former prime minister discussed what he saw on the front lines and what he had come to understand about the Russian invasion even before it began.

In April 2026, according to media reports, Johnson spent several days on the front lines in the Zaporizhzhia region, where he visited the positions of the 65th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. “Welcome to the kill zone and welcome back to the war the West risks forgetting,” he wrote in a report for the Daily Mail, criticizing Kyiv’s allies for insufficient support and calling for the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine. As the Telegraph reported, Johnson and his group were granted direct access to the combat zone.

On July 24, the 90-minute film *Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill Zone*, produced by Two Rivers, aired on Channel 5. The film shows how the former politician, who is now a journalist, travels from Kyiv to the front lines near Zaporizhzhia, often wearing a balaclava, spending the night with air defense crews, visiting destroyed villages, a frontline chapel, and an underground munitions workshop.

While preparing the film, Johnson said he considers the Russian invasion an act of terrorism and the war a clash between good and evil. However, some of the British audience reacted to his trip with irony. In the comments section, Daily Mail readers mocked the former prime minister’s visit to the front lines and discussed his potential role in attempting to organize peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in the spring of 2022.

Johnson also addressed the accusations that he had derailed the negotiations on the School of War podcast, calling them “complete nonsense.” In addition, he described how European leaders turned a blind eye to the inevitability of a Russian attack, as well as the position of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who, according to Johnson, understood the threat but did not want to alarm Ukrainians.

When Johnson Realized the Invasion Was Inevitable

“I have to give credit to my defense minister, Ben Wallace. Back in the summer of 2021, he read that crazy, ‘Nostradamus-like’ article by Putin claiming that Ukraine is part of Russia and all that nonsense. Ben came to me and said: ‘Listen, I seriously think he’s going to invade.’ We both read it. It was clear that something very bad was brewing. By late 2021–early 2022, there was almost no doubt left.

It’s funny that we couldn’t even convince our closest friends—the French and the Germans.

I said, “Let’s impose sanctions to stop them.” But [then-German Chancellor] Olaf [Scholz] was strongly opposed. [French President] Emmanuel [Macron] was too... Back in 2014, Germany and France viewed the conflict as a domestic squabble between Russia and Ukraine, rather than a treacherous attack by one side on the other. The French and Germans “managed” the problem within the Normandy Format, or so they thought.

I remember one conversation with the Germans… I won’t mention any names, but a high-ranking official in the chancellor’s office said something along these lines: “If it’s going to happen anyway, maybe it’s better for everything to happen quickly, for the Ukrainians to lose, and for it all to be over.”

I also remember that in February 2022, just before the invasion, I traveled to Ukraine and spoke with Zelenskyy. Even then, he spoke rather vaguely—he didn’t want to alarm his own citizens. Although, I think he already understood that this was going to happen.”

Did he derail the peace deal between Ukraine and Russia

“It was impossible to stop this. There are some absolutely ridiculous theories circulating right now. Some, including the Kremlin, accuse me of derailing the peace talks with my trip to Kyiv in April 2022. That I supposedly ‘spoiled the atmosphere’ and made a deal impossible. That’s complete nonsense. No European—or Western leader, for that matter—could have stopped the Ukrainians from fighting for their country. That simply could not have happened.

I arrived after they, against all expectations, had pushed the world’s second-strongest army back from Kyiv and made some inroads against it in the east. They had performed a miracle. I wanted to tell Zelenskyy just one thing: “I cannot be a greater Ukrainian than the Ukrainians themselves. But if you want to keep fighting—we will stand with you.” And I had a clear mandate for this from the Cabinet and Parliament. This remains the position of the British people.”

Could Ukraine have traded territory for peace back then

“At every stage, [Russia’s illegitimate president Vladimir] Putin could have consolidated his gains and said, ‘Enough.’ I have no doubt whatsoever that Zelenskyy would have de facto agreed to trade territory for peace—not de jure, but de facto. To freeze the line of contact on the condition that the West provides some security guarantees: a ‘steel porcupine,’ fortifications, and so on. But Putin never even came close to accepting that. Show me even one instance in the past four and a half years when he said he would stop fighting and sending troops. He withdrew from those areas only because the Ukrainians heroically drove him out.”

What Johnson Saw on the Front Lines

“Many people have gotten the impression in recent months that Ukraine has grown significantly stronger. That’s true—their technology is amazing; they’re doing fantastic things. But on the ground, it’s a nightmare. I saw the horror of what it’s like to be a Ukrainian soldier on the front lines. Drones have completely changed the face of war. It’s truly terrifying. At any moment, death can come flying down from the sky—that buzzing little bug can kill you. I saw how hard it is for them. Putin is putting immense pressure on Zaporizhzhia—he wants to take the city because it brings him closer to Odesa and allows him to seriously cut Ukraine in two. The fighting there is extremely fierce.

I’ve been to villages that, sadly, have now been captured. Soldiers are forced to take shelter in local residents’ homes—and those homes are then bombed. Resentment is beginning to build among civilians: their lives are being destroyed. The Ukrainians are holding their ground better, but Russia continues to press forward. Putin still has no incentive to stop.”

How to Defeat Putin

“An economic war is necessary. And it’s very good that the U.S. is doing this now. Since I’m in Washington, I’ll make a general point: despite all the criticism directed at the White House—if it weren’t for the U.S., Ukraine simply wouldn’t exist as an independent state today. America remains the arsenal of democracy. Intelligence, satellite support—all of this—it is precisely American aid that continues to keep Ukraine afloat.

We need a much clearer stance: Putin must lose. Donald Trump has already taken important steps in this direction—both the Javelin missiles back then and this bill. These are tougher measures than what the Europeans have done. Trump now has a huge weapon at his disposal. He needs to use it. Because from Putin’s perspective, it’s not entirely clear whether the U.S. is truly committed to a free, sovereign, and independent Ukraine. If the president seriously wields this tool and tells Putin: “This war has dragged on for far too long. I don’t just want it to end. I want you to step down and acknowledge that Ukraine is a free country”—and backs that up with real sanctions—it will have a powerful impact on the Kremlin. He has a tremendous opportunity right now.”

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