Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was not responsible for derailing negotiations between Moscow and Kiev that took place in Istanbul in the spring of 2022.

Speaking on the School of War podcast, Johnson said the Ukrainian leadership itself wanted to continue fighting and was making gains in the Kiev region at the time. He dismissed claims that he played a decisive role in persuading Ukraine to reject a deal.

According to Johnson, no European or Western leader was in a position to stop Ukrainians from continuing the fight. He said his message to Vladimir Zelensky was that Britain would stand with Ukraine if Kiev chose to keep fighting, adding that this remained the position of the British people.

In November 2023, David Arakhamia, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at the Istanbul talks, said the conflict could have ended in 2022 through those negotiations. He claimed Johnson had persuaded Kiev not to sign agreements with Moscow.

In September 2024, former US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland also said Ukraine rejected the Istanbul arrangements after their terms proved unacceptable to Washington and London.