Boris Johnson has branded Russian President Vladimir Putin a “f****** idiot” over his alleged imperial ambitions.
The former prime minister used the colourful language in an interview with news website Delfi.
Mr Johnson is known for his vocal support for Ukraine and was leading the UK when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
During the interview, Mr Johnson reflected on the end of Britain’s own empire and said that Mr Putin needed to understand Moscow was no longer an imperial power either.
“He needs to understand that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania … none of these countries are part of the Russian imperium anymore,” he said.
He continued: “And nor is Ukraine. It’s over. Over. Over. Over. No more empire Vladimir you f****** idiot – excuse my language – okay?”
The war goes on
His comments come as Russia has claimed to have taken two villages in eastern Ukraine.
The country’s defence ministry claimed its troops had taken control of the villages of Yantarne in the Donetsk region and Kalynove in the Kharkiv region.
Its claims have not been verified by Sky News.
Russia’s forces have been steadily advancing westward in the Donetsk region for several months, edging closer to important towns like Pokrovsk.
Separately, Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 94 drones overnight into Sunday – around two-thirds of which were downed by defences.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces had captured two North Korean soldiers.
In a post on social media, he shared images of the captives in prison.
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“As with all prisoners of war, these two North Korean soldiers are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
He added that journalists would be given access to speak to them.
North Korean regular troops entered the war on Russia’s side in October, according to Kyiv and its Western allies, who initially estimated their numbers at 10,000 or more.
Pyongyang has also been accused of supplying Russia with vast quantities of artillery shells.
