Boris Johnson has said Vladimir Putin is an example of “toxic masculinity” and would not have invaded Ukraine if he was a woman.
Speaking at the G7 summit in Germany on Tuesday, Mr Johnson condemned the Russian president for a “crazy macho war” and suggested it had happened because of his gender.
The Prime Minister was asked by ZDF, a German broadcaster, whether his plan to deal with Mr Putin was to ridicule him, after he was caught on camera joking about photos of the Russian president posing topless on horseback.
“If Putin were a woman, which he obviously isn’t, but if he were, I really don’t think he would have embarked on a crazy macho war, an invasion of violence, in the way that he has,” Mr Johnson said.
“If you want a perfect example of toxic masculinity, it’s what he is doing in Ukraine.”
His comments came after world leaders openly mocked Mr Putin for a series of staged photographs where he could be seen engaging in outdoor pursuits.
At the summit on Monday, Mr Johnson joked with Justin Trudeau the pair should take their jackets off to emulate Mr Putin’s photo opportunity.
The pair laughed about how hot it was in one meeting room, where there was no air conditioning.
The Canadian Prime Minister said: “We’re going to get the bare-chested horseback riding display.”
Mr Johnson replied: “There you go! We’ve got to show them our pecs.”
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, added: “Horseback riding is the best though.”
At the G7 summit, jokes were made about the photo of Putin with his bare torso on a horse.
Boris Johnson suggested that the G7 leaders undress to the waist, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went even further and suggested saddling horses.#Ukraine #poland #russia pic.twitter.com/mzpEgG9btI
— Mateusz Sobieraj (@MateuszSobiera3) June 26, 2022
The Prime Minister used the G7 summit to argue that Western countries should not cave to Mr Putin’s demands and support a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that would involve annexing Ukrainian territory.
The leaders have since said that the war should not be settled prematurely and have committed to supporting Volodymyr Zelensky in his fight against Russia.
In a communique on Tuesday, they condemned the attacks and called on other states including China to do the same.
The United States has promised to send more air defence weapons to Ukraine, while the UK has underwritten more loans to the country from the World Bank, bringing Britain’s total financial support to £1.5bn.
