According to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have started a “crazy, macho war” against Ukraine if he were a woman.
Johnson identified Putin’s machismo as a contributing cause to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in an interview with German media this week following the G7 Summit at Schloss Elmau.
As a step toward achieving world peace, he also advocated for the inclusion of more women in “positions of authority.”
Johnson told German television station ZDF: “If Putin were a woman, which he isn’t if he were, I genuinely don’t think he would have started a mad, macho war of invasion and murder in the manner that he has.
He referred to the 69-year-old Russian president and added, “If you want a classic illustration of toxic masculinity, it’s what he is doing.”
Leaders of the influential bloc made fun of Putin over his iconic photo of him riding a bare-chested horse during the previous G7 Summit in Germany.
In response to questions on Johnson’s comments, the official spokesman for the prime minister stated that “there is not a deliberate policy,” adding that “the British public would expect leaders to be forceful with someone killing innocent civilians regularly.”
Johnson’s remarks are made in advance of a NATO conference in Madrid, where western allies will debate how to counter emerging threats.
Johnson plans to urge other members of the defense alliance to increase their military expenditures during the conference.
Meanwhile, further sanctions were issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) to target Putin’s “close circle,” which included Vladimir Potanin, the second-richest person in Russia, and owner of the significant conglomerate Interros.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Potanin has continued to gain riches by purchasing shares in Tinkoff Bank and Rosbank, according to the FCDO.
Additionally, Anna Tsivileva, Putin’s cousin and head of JSC Kolmar Group, a well-known Russian coal mining corporation, has been sanctioned.
Sergey Tsivilev, Tsivileva’s husband, is the governor of the coal-rich Kemerovo region, and the pair has benefited greatly from their connections to Putin. Additionally, JSC Kolmar Group is being penalized.
“We will employ sanctions to degrade the Russian military machine as long as Putin keeps up his horrific assault on Ukraine. The penalties announced today demonstrate that everyone and everything, even Putin’s inner circle, is fair game.
The UK government said that it would also penalize several Russian people and businesses for their roles in Syria’s Assad regime’s repression of civilians.
