Johnson with his top off would be a disgusting sight, says Putin
BORIS JOHNSON’S war of words with Vladimir Putin reached new heights yesterday as the Russian president said he would be a “disgusting sight” with his top off.
Mr Putin hit back at a series of personal attacks by Mr Johnson and Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, during two diplomatic summits this week.
The mocking began at a G7 meeting in Bavaria on Sunday, when Mr Johnson said that he would take off his jacket to show he was “tougher than Putin” – a reference to staged photographs of the Russian leader, topless, taking part in outdoor pursuits like horse riding and fishing.
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, said the pair should go “barechested horseback riding”, while Mr Johnson said they should “show them our pecs”.
Speaking at the Caspian summit in Turkmenistan yesterday, Mr
Putin hit back at the two Western leaders. “I don’t know how they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist,” he said. “But I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case.”
He said that, to look good, “it’s necessary to stop abusing alcohol and other bad habits, do physical exercise and take part in sports”.
The latest exchange came after Mr Johnson and Mr Wallace criticised Mr Putin for being “macho” and a “lunatic”. “If Putin were a woman … I really don’t think he would have embarked on a crazy macho war, an invasion of violence, in the way that he has,” Mr Johnson said on Tuesday. “If you want a perfect example of toxic masculinity, it’s what he is doing in Ukraine,” he added.
Asked in a separate interview whether he thought Mr Putin was evil, the Prime Minister replied: “I think it probably follows that if you are what you do, then certainly.”
Mr Wallace, who has previously accused Mr Putin of going “full tonto” by invading Ukraine, doubled down on the Prime Minister’s comments.
“I certainly think Putin’s view of himself and the world is a small man syndrome, macho view,” he told LBC. Mr Putin is 5ft 7in tall.
Asked whether the Government had begun insulting Mr Putin as a strategy to belittle Russia because of the war in Ukraine, a Downing Street spokesman replied: “It is not a deliberate policy.”
Moscow said it had summoned the UK ambassador to Russia last night over Mr Johnson’s remarks.
Mr Putin’s visit to Turkmenistan to meet allies in Central Asia is thought to be his first trip outside the country since his invasion of Ukraine in February.
Joko Widodo, the Indonesian president, delivered a message from Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, to Mr Putin at a meeting yesterday.
He did not provide further details, and neither side said what was in the note.
Mr Widodo said he expressed his “readiness” to help start “communication” between the two leaders.