Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that he republican party has a “bizarre, homoerotic fascination” with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin.

Johnson, a long-time ally of the president-elect donald trumpHe made the remarks on stage at the Fortune Global Forum conference on Monday, where he was discussing the relationship between Russia, Trump and Republican party.

news week has reached out to Boris Johnson by email for comment, as well as Trump’s team and the Republican National Committee, outside of normal business hours.

Following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, it has come into focus how his second presidential term will alter foreign policy relations and influence the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

NATO allies They are reportedly plotting to ensure that Trump cannot reduce support for Ukraine.

Johnson, whose three-year term as UK prime minister overlapped for two years with Trump’s first term as president, discussed this issue at the Forum. He said Trump was “pretty tough” on Vladimir Putin when he was in the Oval Office.

But he said the Republican Party has a “homoerotic fascination with Putin, which I personally don’t share.”

He continued: “Some of these people think he’s a very well-rounded guy and they love his manly Christianity.”

“It is complete nonsense. He is a tyrant, a kleptocrat, a murderer and a very, very dangerous and evil man.”

news week has contacted the Kremlin by email for comment.

“But there’s no doubt that some of those people are in the ear of the 47th president,” Johnson said. “And they’re whispering a lot of nonsense to him.”

Johnson is a strong supporter of Trump. Posting in Facebook After the election result, the former Prime Minister stated: “Many congratulations to Donald Trump on his historic victory.”

“He has shown in the past that he is capable of taking strong and decisive action. I have no doubt that that is what he will now do at home and abroad, whether in the Middle East or Ukraine.

“There’s a lot of talk right now about dangerous, poisonous, harmful things,” Johnson said.

He went on to reference the president-elect’s proposed peace deal, saying he “hopes the argument for democracy and freedom is successful, and I base my optimism on what I saw last time.”

Trump has repeatedly said he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day. This observation has surprised both countries and NATO allies.

Last week, a report that was initially published by The Washington Post, said there is it had been a call between the president-elect and the Russian president, supposedly discussing the war in Ukraine. Kremlin officials have refuted this, calling the claims “pure fiction.”

Johnson said there was a “real risk that a deal could be reached that is not in the best interests of freedom and democracy.”

He added: “I am absolutely convinced that it would be a disaster for the world if Ukraine fell.”

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