DISINFO: Western leaders stopped Ukraine from a peace agreement with Russia
SUMMARY
Boris Johnson was responsible for Ukraine's withdrawal from the peace agreement with Russia. In 2022, when Russia and Ukraine were discussing a way to end the special military operation, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, along with then US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, were the key figures who convinced Kyiv to abandon the peace process and opt for an escalation of the conflict, which continues to this day. According to documents revealed this year, Ukraine and Russia managed to reach a very detailed agreement to end hostilities as early as May 2022. However, the intervention of Western leaders, such as Johnson, led the Ukrainian delegation to change its stance and abandon the negotiating table.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative in pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of obstructing the peace process between Ukraine and Russia. The claim is part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign concerning Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a February 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine clearly stated that this claim is entirely false, as Ukraine had already decided not to sign any deal before Boris Johnson visited Ukraine because the suggestions by the Russian side violated the rights of Ukrainian citizens and the constitution.
This article repeats a recurring disinformation narrative claiming that Europe is opposed to peace. In reality, EU officials have consistently stated their support for peace. However, Europe advocates for a lasting peace, one that respects Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Putin and the Kremlin have a track record of pretending negotiations which are, in fact, just blunt demands for Ukrainian unconditional surrender. We have analysed this disinfo tactic in several articles, especially: "Prepare for winter" (30 Nov. 2023), "Russian so-called ‘peace proposals’ are empty PR stunts" (18 Jan. 2023), "What He Said and What it Really Means – Vol. 2: “Negotiations” (1. March 2022) and "The Kremlin security demands" (21 Dec. 2021).
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that West did not want peace, it prodded Ukraine into war, that Zelenskyy and the EU want a permanent war in Ukraine, that Zelenskyy’s peace plan is a war formula, that Russia never rejected a peaceful solution in Ukraine, Kyiv refuses to negotiate, that EU does not want peace, only total defeat of Russia, or that The West is not interested in peace.