Why Putin wanted Johnson to win Brexit and end up in No 10 | The Federal Trust

“For Putin, the entry of ex-Soviet Colonies like Poland, the Baltic states, East Germany or the Czech Republic into full EU membership meant the final expulsion of the Russian state as central to the ruling system in half of Europe.

“As long as the EU was there and attracting the support and participation of all of Europe up to the borders of Belarus and Ukraine, Putin knew his hopes of restoring Russia to its post-1945 or even 19th-century might and presence were forlorn.”