The UK Prime Minister has recently made many efforts to lead a role in defending Ukraine against Russia. The UK PM has lost popularity due to Partygate scandals and supports democracy after the conflict in Ukraine began. He uses the ongoing developments in eastern Europe to gain back his reputation and the Conservative party’s votes.
The UK Instantly Asked for Sanction against Russia
Since the beginning of the Conflict in Ukraine, Westminster’s officials have kept commenting on the issue. On February 24, 2022, the conflict in Ukraine began with Russian attacks. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the European countries to defend Ukraine against Russia. After the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the British government has announced it would respond to the Russian invasion.
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Britain would use the overwhelming sanctions and decisive responses. The UK PM and the other G7 leaders held a virtual meeting on the first day of conflict in Ukraine. Boris Johnson, who seeks a leading role, reiterated a historic turning point for the international community. He has asked everyone to help isolate the Russian government. The UK PM has emphasized the economic sanctions against Russia and military assistance for Ukraine.
Johnson Keeps Commenting on Ukraine
Boris Johnson has put too much emphasis on Ukraine’s crisis throughout the last week. After the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the UK government held an emergency Cobra meeting. Boris Johnson talked about the responses to the Russian attack with the most severe economic sanctions. Following the Cobra meeting, he informed the MPs at the Commons that Britain would sanction Russia severely. He condemned the Russian government for “genocide and crimes against humanity”. Johnson has emphasized much more on the issue, suggesting that Russia’s attack against a NATO country was possible. He added that the UK would defend any NATO ally and take economic crime measures against Russia. Boris Johnson has kept using social media to talk about Ukraine and prove how much this issue matters to him.
Partygate Scandals Put Pressures on the UK PM
Johnson and his government have shown far too much concern and have participated in a global battle for democracy. The UK PM and his cabinet have occupied media outlets with comments on Ukraine while under domestic outrage. He was caught in a crisis over several gatherings and parties held during the pandemic.
The UK PM and his cabinet held many parties in Downing Street while other Britons avoided any group. He has been under pressure inside the country after the exposure of the Partygate scandals. The revelation has caused anger among the public and politicians, so many have asked Johnson to resign. The investigation about Partygate scandals has concluded there were “failures of leadership“. It said some of the behaviour regarding the gathering is “difficult to justify”, so some of the cabinet members quit.
Johnson Leadership Is Vulnerable
Scotland Yard continued to contact more people related to the Partygate scandals, and Johnson should still wait for the result. It is a nightmare for the UK PM because he could receive more calls for resignation. The UK government breached pandemic regulations from 2020 to 2021 while the whole country went under restricted lockdown.
Critics accused the UK PM of breaking Covid laws, and some Conservative MPs submitted a letter of no confidence. If 54 Conservative MPS write letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson, a vote on his leadership will be held. The UK PM has been in a leadership crisis, and the Conservative government has faced extreme pressure over the gatherings. The British media revealed more details, and the British public has increasingly become annoyed. Public anger will significantly impact the party’s future elections and has caused doubts over his premiership.
UK Claims Defending Democracy in Ukraine
Once the aggression in Ukraine began, Boris Johnson found it beneficial to talk against Russia to defend democratic values. One day after the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the UK PM directly addressed the people of Russia. He spoke in Russian, saying he did not believe it was a war on people’s names.
Boris Johnson also spoke in the Ukrainian language, urged an end to the conflict, and praised their bravery and patriotism. Johnson has claimed Britain defends democracy in the continent and is “out in front” regarding sanctions on Russia. He, indeed, considers himself as leading the movement to protect the democratic country, Ukraine. The UK PM has mentioned that the Ukrainian people have enjoyed democracy for decades, and the British mission is clear. Boris Johnson added that the Russian government must fail, and Ukraine should choose its destiny.
Britain Claims Leading Role in Deterring Russia
The UK government has made good use of the opportunity offered by the conflict in Ukraine. The Partygate scandals have caused a drop in the Conservative government’s popularity and Boris Johnson’s premiership. The British government has been actively involved in meetings and measures related to the conflict in Ukraine. The UK government has claimed that it has had a leading role against Russia in the past week.
The UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has declared that the EU follows the UK’s leading role in providing defensive weapons to Ukraine. Liz Truss has added that Britain has confronted Russia with collective responses so that Moscow uses harsh rhetoric. To defend democracy, Truss has mentioned that the hardship in Ukraine is a struggle for its freedom and self-determination. The UK government has argued it leads on humanitarian support and rules out any military confrontation inside Ukraine.
Conclusion
The UK PM has been stuck in Partygate scandals, and some of the Conservative MPs were reconsidering his leadership. His critics have said that he was not the right person to lead the Conservative Party into the next election. The UK government had breached lockdown rules and lost the public’s trust. Under such circumstances, the UK PM’s premiership has damaged and become insecure. However, in the past week, the conflict in Ukraine has provided an excellent opportunity for him.
The UK PM and his cabinet have been actively involved in commenting on the war in Ukraine. They have claimed that Britain is leading the moves against breaching democratic values, and Britons defend democratic Ukraine. The fire exchanges in Eastern Europe are a good timing for the UK government to get the media attention. But can Boris Johnson rebuild trust among his party and the voters?
