Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the full-scale invasion of Ukraine might have been avoided if Western allies had acted more decisively in 2014 and afterward.

Axar.az, citing BBC Politics, reports that speaking to Laura Kuenssberg, Johnson pointed to Russia’s increasing aggression and the annexation of Crimea as warning signs that were not sufficiently addressed by the West.

“Failure to respond to Crimea in 2014 was tragic,” Johnson said. “Putin was emboldened by Western inaction in Syria and the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. The general ambiguity of the West encouraged him further.”

He added that the lack of clarity about Ukraine’s future, including promises of NATO integration that were never fully realized, contributed to the crisis.

“We could have prevented that invasion by being strong. The fundamental issue is that Putin has not been convinced that the West regards Ukraine as an overwhelming strategic objective to remain a free and independent European country,” Johnson said.

Reflecting on his own tenure, Johnson noted that by 2016, the UK was assisting Ukraine through initiatives like Operation Orbital, but the underlying ambiguity in Western policy persisted, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Russian aggression.