The death of Putin’s opposition, Alexei Navalny, caused Boris Johnson to withdraw from a discussion with Tucker Carlson, a US investigative reporter who interviewed Putin. Johnson had reportedly agreed to be interviewed for a $1 million fee, which his team claims would have been donated to a charity supporting Ukrainian veterans.
Reports show that while running for office, Navalny spearheaded anti-government protests and called for anti-corruption measures in Russia while opposing President Vladimir Putin’s government.
In response to questions from Western media on the alleged murder of Alexei Navalny in a Siberian jail, Ukrainian intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov told them on February 26th that Navalny’s death was caused by a blood clot, as stated by the Kremlin.
The ongoing conflict between Johnson and Carlson has escalated after Johnson accused Carlson of betraying journalism by avoiding criticism of Putin for mayhem against Ukraine.
Tucker Carlson, who often criticizes the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has revealed that Johnson had originally consented to be interviewed.
Irritated that Johnson had criticized Carlson as a Kremlin proxy for his contentious interview with Putin, Carlson claimed he later extended the offer.
According to Carlson, he went to the former Prime Minister and a member of Johnson’s staff told him it would cost $1 million before Johnson would clarify his stance on Ukraine.
The former Prime Minister’s team denied the host’s assertion that Johnson had wanted $1 million, saying he would’ve donated the funds to groups supporting Ukrainian veterans had Carlson offered him that amount.
Carlson said that he doesn’t justify Putin’s actions, but at least he never requested 1 million dollars. He called it a shakedown and morally wrong to profit from war.
An official representing Johnson stated that was not true.
Putin accused Johnson of obstructing a peace accord, but Johnson has refuted this, and Ukrainian officials deny it.
British media report that speaking engagements and public appearances have earned Johnson millions of dollars since he left parliament, with nearly 4.5 million dollars in 2023.