Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walk in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 9. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office / AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walk in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 9. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office / AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walk in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 9. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office / AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walk in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 9. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office / AP

Negotiations with Putin doomed to fail, says UK's Johnson


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
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Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated that he believes negotiations with Russia to end Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine are doomed to fail.

Mr Johnson on Wednesday compared dealing with the Russian president to negotiating with a “crocodile when it’s got your leg in its jaws”.

Speaking on a flight to India, Mr Johnson said Mr Putin might only seek to negotiate in earnest if he managed to seize a significant portion of Ukraine.

But he said that at that point, the Russian president might try to launch another assault on Kyiv.

Mr Johnson said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “maximalist” approach to wanting to get back territory seized by Russia in the east of Ukraine.

But he said he believed Mr Zelenskyy was open to negotiations on Crimea, which was annexed by Mr Putin’s forces in 2014.

“It’s for the Ukrainians to decide their future," Mr Johnson said. "Nothing should be decided about Ukraine without Ukraine.

“But I think it’s very hard to see how the Ukrainians can negotiate with Putin now, given his manifest lack of good faith and his strategy, which is evident, to try to engulf and capture as much of Ukraine as he can, and then perhaps have some sort of negotiation from a position of strength, or even to launch another assault on Kyiv.

“So I really don’t see how the Ukrainians can easily sit down and come to some kind of accommodation.

“How can you negotiate with a crocodile when it’s got your leg in its jaws? That’s the difficulty the Ukrainians face.”

  • A sign that reads 'Children' is fixed on to a car windscreen riddled with bulletholes in Irpin, Ukraine. AFP
    A sign that reads 'Children' is fixed on to a car windscreen riddled with bulletholes in Irpin, Ukraine. AFP
  • A woman weeps next to her husband's coffin at a cemetery in Irpin. AFP
    A woman weeps next to her husband's coffin at a cemetery in Irpin. AFP
  • Residents walk amid debris of a charred Russian tank next to destroyed houses in the village of Zalissya. AFP
    Residents walk amid debris of a charred Russian tank next to destroyed houses in the village of Zalissya. AFP
  • Volunteers distribute food to residents in Zalissya. AFP
    Volunteers distribute food to residents in Zalissya. AFP
  • A man walks past a damaged apartment building in the southern port city of Mariupol. Reuters
    A man walks past a damaged apartment building in the southern port city of Mariupol. Reuters
  • Tamara, 71, cries in front of a destroyed apartment building in Mariupol. Reuters
    Tamara, 71, cries in front of a destroyed apartment building in Mariupol. Reuters
  • Local residents push a cart with a child past destroyed buildings in Mariupol. Reuters
    Local residents push a cart with a child past destroyed buildings in Mariupol. Reuters
  • A record player sits among debris inside an apartment in Mariupol. Reuters
    A record player sits among debris inside an apartment in Mariupol. Reuters
  • Residents carry belongings past a destroyed building in Mariupol. Reuters
    Residents carry belongings past a destroyed building in Mariupol. Reuters
  • Security guards help an injured man following a Russian bombing of a factory in Kramatorsk. AP
    Security guards help an injured man following a Russian bombing of a factory in Kramatorsk. AP
  • A man receives first aid treatment. AP
    A man receives first aid treatment. AP
  • Soldiers collect explosives after recent battles in the village of Moshchun, close to Kyiv. AP
    Soldiers collect explosives after recent battles in the village of Moshchun, close to Kyiv. AP
  • The Komodor logistics park lies in ruins after being bombed and burnt during the Russian invasion near Makarov. Getty Images
    The Komodor logistics park lies in ruins after being bombed and burnt during the Russian invasion near Makarov. Getty Images
  • A room in a kindergarten stands windowless in Makarov. Getty Images
    A room in a kindergarten stands windowless in Makarov. Getty Images
  • A vehicle draped with a Ukrainian flag passes over a war-damaged bridge in Makarov. Getty Images
    A vehicle draped with a Ukrainian flag passes over a war-damaged bridge in Makarov. Getty Images
  • A man sits in a basement that was used as a bomb shelter in the village of Kukhari. EPA
    A man sits in a basement that was used as a bomb shelter in the village of Kukhari. EPA
  • Local residents clean the area around a destroyed farm in Kukhari. EPA
    Local residents clean the area around a destroyed farm in Kukhari. EPA
  • Nadia looks at her husband's coffin at a cemetery in Bucha. He was killed during the war. AFP
    Nadia looks at her husband's coffin at a cemetery in Bucha. He was killed during the war. AFP
  • Mangled buildings in Irpin point to the ravages of the ongoing war. Getty Images
    Mangled buildings in Irpin point to the ravages of the ongoing war. Getty Images
  • A burnt apartment tower in Irpin. Getty Images
    A burnt apartment tower in Irpin. Getty Images
  • Family members grieve during the funeral of Ruslan Nechyporenko, 47, in Bucha. Getty Images
    Family members grieve during the funeral of Ruslan Nechyporenko, 47, in Bucha. Getty Images
  • An abandoned Russian military position in Borodyanka town near Kyiv. EPA
    An abandoned Russian military position in Borodyanka town near Kyiv. EPA
  • Heavily pregnant Dr Marta Kopan, who fled Kyiv with her husband Dr Maxim Motsya and their three-year-old son Makar, narrates their ordeal at a relative's place in Lviv. AP
    Heavily pregnant Dr Marta Kopan, who fled Kyiv with her husband Dr Maxim Motsya and their three-year-old son Makar, narrates their ordeal at a relative's place in Lviv. AP
  • A Ukrainian officer searches for unexploded explosives as he passes by an Antonov An-225, the world's biggest cargo aircraft, destroyed during the war on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP
    A Ukrainian officer searches for unexploded explosives as he passes by an Antonov An-225, the world's biggest cargo aircraft, destroyed during the war on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP
  • A woman stands amid the destruction caused when a civilian building was hit by a Russian missile in Lviv, western Ukraine. Getty Images
    A woman stands amid the destruction caused when a civilian building was hit by a Russian missile in Lviv, western Ukraine. Getty Images
  • Ukrainian soldiers on an armoured personnel carrier, near the front line with Russian troops, in Izyum district, Kharkiv region, north-eastern Ukraine. AFP
    Ukrainian soldiers on an armoured personnel carrier, near the front line with Russian troops, in Izyum district, Kharkiv region, north-eastern Ukraine. AFP
  • Ukrainian refugees arrive at the Siret border crossing between Romania and Ukraine. AFP
    Ukrainian refugees arrive at the Siret border crossing between Romania and Ukraine. AFP
  • Ukranian soldiers in a trench look out across the front line near Kharkiv. AFP
    Ukranian soldiers in a trench look out across the front line near Kharkiv. AFP
  • Cars destroyed in Russian attacks, in Irpin, near Kyiv. The scene of fierce fighting, the town was occupied by Russian forces. Reuters
    Cars destroyed in Russian attacks, in Irpin, near Kyiv. The scene of fierce fighting, the town was occupied by Russian forces. Reuters
  • Damaged and destroyed vehicles at Illich Iron and Steel Works Metallurgical Plant, in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists in besieged south-eastern city Mariupol. AP
    Damaged and destroyed vehicles at Illich Iron and Steel Works Metallurgical Plant, in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists in besieged south-eastern city Mariupol. AP
  • Russian military vehicles in an area controlled by Moscow-backed separatists near Mariupol. AP
    Russian military vehicles in an area controlled by Moscow-backed separatists near Mariupol. AP
  • An elderly woman waits do be evacuated from a hospice in Chasiv Yar city, in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. At least 35 residents have been helped to flee from the region that has been under attack for weeks. AP
    An elderly woman waits do be evacuated from a hospice in Chasiv Yar city, in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. At least 35 residents have been helped to flee from the region that has been under attack for weeks. AP
  • A Ukrainian Interior Ministry serviceman collects unexploded shells, grenades and mines, following fierce fighting in Hostomel. AP
    A Ukrainian Interior Ministry serviceman collects unexploded shells, grenades and mines, following fierce fighting in Hostomel. AP

“I don’t see how Putin can be taken to be a valid interlocutor now.”

But Mr Johnson did suggest that Mr Zelenskyy, who he recently visited in Kyiv and frequently calls, could be open to negotiation on Crimea.

“The view of the president of Ukraine, if I understood him correctly – I speak to him a lot – is he would actually like Russian forces to be expelled from their existing positions in Donetsk and Luhansk.

“That’s a pretty maximalist position. On Crimea, they’re not so maximalist.”

Who is Allegra Stratton?

 

  • Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
  • Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
  • In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
  • The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
  • Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
  • She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
  • Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
liverpool youngsters

Ki-Jana Hoever

The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.

 

Herbie Kane

Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.

 

Luis Longstaff

Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.

 

Yasser Larouci

An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.

 

Adam Lewis

Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Results:

6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres

Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m

Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson

7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m

Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby

8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m

Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m

Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m

Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor

2.0

Director: S Shankar

Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films

Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

U19 World Cup in South Africa

Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka

Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies

Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe

Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE

UAE fixtures

Saturday, January 18, v Canada

Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan

Saturday, January 25, v South Africa

UAE squad

Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon

23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees

Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.

Tu%20Jhoothi%20Main%20Makkaar%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELuv%20Ranjan%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Shraddha%20Kapoor%2C%20Anubhav%20Singh%20Bassi%20and%20Dimple%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Meydan racecard:

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) 1,600m

7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) | 2,000m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

'My Son'

Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

match info

Southampton 0

Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')

Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)

Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Marital status: Single

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Key findings
  • Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
  • Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase. 
  • People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”. 
  • Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better. 
  • But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures

Monday, Sept 30

Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)

Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Grand slam winners since July 2003

Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam

Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)

Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)

Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)

Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)

Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)

Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open) 

Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)

Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)

Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)

Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)

Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain

West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership

UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Updated: April 21, 2022, 12:28 AM