At least one former global leader seems to think that former President Donald Trump has a chance of winning the Republican nomination and taking back the White House in 2024. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who served as UK prime minister for roughly two years during Trump’s time in office, reportedly met with the former president for dinner during a recent tour of the United States.
Johnson, one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February, 2022, reportedly tried to win Trump over in the hopes that he would continue to back Ukraine if he wins in November next year.
Reports this week describe how Johnson met with a number of Republican politicians during his recent trip, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Johnson also reportedly met with Mike Pompeo, formerly the U.S. secretary of state during the Trump administration.
Trump met with Johnson on Thursday, though the location of the meeting was not confirmed in press reports.
Johnson was hosted by a number of pro-Ukraine think tank officials looking to drum up support for Ukraine internationally.
The discussion between Trump and Johnson was confirmed by a spokesperson for the former prime minister, who said that the pair met to “discuss the situation in Ukraine and the vital importance of Ukrainian victory.”
During Johnson’s time in office, he made several unannounced trips to Kyiv. The trips were often criticized in the British press, with some reporters and analysts accusing the prime minister of using Ukraine as a distraction from domestic issues at home. However, since Johnson left office, he has been heaped with praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has continued his work supporting Ukraine.
Johnson’s decision to meet with Trump could suggest that he believes the former president has a real shot at winning the presidency in next year’s election. Trump has promised on multiple occasions to end the conflict within 24 hours after being elected, recently telling a CNN town hall discussion that he does not view ending the war as a matter of one side winning.
When asked by host Kaitlan Collins whether he wants to see Ukraine win the war, the former president said that he would rather negotiate an end to the war without focusing on one side winning.
“I don’t think in terms of winning and losing,” Trump said. “I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people.”
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
