Boris Johnson says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not only a ‘tragedy, it is a colossal mistake’

Boris Johnson has warned that Putin’s aim in invading Ukraine is to “overthrow the Cold War order and destroy the vision of a Europe whole and free”.

Speaking during a visit to Poland, the prime minister warned that if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, his “imperial ambitions” would not end at its borders.

But he added that Putin had made a “colossal mistake” by invading Ukraine.

“Putin has lied to his people and to his troops about how this conflict would go, he has now been caught out in that lie,” he said.

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