‘VANITY WAR THAT PUTIN MUST LOSE’

He must fail and he will fail thanks to ego-driven error

- Nicholas Cecil and David Bond

VLADIMIR PUTIN is senselessly condemning more young Russians and Ukrainians to their deaths to avoid humiliation in an “unwinnable war” fought “solely for his own vanity”, Boris Johnson said today.

The Prime Minister hailed Russia’s “heroic” role in defeating Adolf Hitler as its armed forces took part in the annual May 9 parade in Moscow to mark the Nazis’ surrender in the Second World War. But in a scathing assessment, Mr Johnson tore into Mr Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as an “egodriven mistake” which now had no clear strategic objective.

With the world’s eyes on the president, pictured in Red Square right, and the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, Mr Johnson told the Standard: “This is Putin’s unwinnable war.

Russians are right to commemorate their heroic role in the defeat of Nazism. But Putin’s brutal attack on Ukraine shames Russia. His unwinnable war is being fought solely for his own vanity.”

Highlighting what he now sees as a key flaw in Mr Putin’s attacks, he added: “At this stage there is simply no clear strategic objective. He is now expending senselessly the lives of young Russians as well as innocent Ukrainians to avoid humiliation. I have always said Putin must fail and Putin will fail because this is an ego-driven mistake.” Mr Johnson’s hard - hitting intervention came as the Russian president made a short speech in Red Square. Addressing thousands of troops, he said Moscow’s military action in Ukraine was an act of self-defence, launched to see off what he said was potential Western aggression.