Boris Johnson comes beneath criticism, together with from his personal MPs, for evaluating Ukrainian resistance with Brexit.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come beneath fireplace, together with from his personal MPs, after saying Brexit confirmed that Britons shared the identical “intuition” for freedom as Ukrainians.
In a speech to his Conservative Celebration convention in Blackpool, northern England, on Saturday, Johnson mentioned it was “the intuition of the individuals of this nation, just like the individuals of Ukraine, to decide on freedom each time”.
He cited the Brexit referendum in June 2016 as a “well-known current instance”.
“When the British individuals voted for Brexit in such giant, giant numbers, I don’t consider it was as a result of they had been remotely hostile to foreigners. It’s as a result of they wished to be free to do issues otherwise and for this nation to have the ability to run itself,” he mentioned.
He additionally cited the COVID-19 vaccine rollout by the UK for example of individuals’s want to get their freedoms again.
Reacting to it, European Council President Donald Tusk mentioned on Sunday on Twitter: “Boris, your phrases offend Ukrainians, the British and customary sense.”
Former EU negotiator Man Verhofstadt referred to as the feedback “insane”.
Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey mentioned Johnson was “needlessly creating division”.
“To match a referendum to girls and youngsters fleeing Putin’s bombs is an insult to each Ukrainian,” he added.
The finance minister, Rishi Sunak, mentioned on Sky Information on Sunday that he didn't take into account the 2 conditions comparable.
“Clearly they don't seem to be immediately analogous and I don’t suppose the prime minister was saying that they had been immediately analogous both,” he mentioned.
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