The US is preying on Kiev just as it did with Britain during World War II, the former UK prime minister has claimed

US President Donald Trump's proposed resource deal with Ukraine is "extortionate" but is also Kiev's best option for securing long-term support from Washington, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kiev on Monday, Johnson addressed talks on a controversial deal that would give the US 50% ownership of Ukraine's critical natural resources as compensation for what Washington claims is $500 billion in US aid to Kiev. The proposal has become a source of tension between Kiev and Washington, with Vladimir Zelensky rebuffing the initial offer and insisting that he "would not sign something that will be paid by ten generations of Ukrainians."

Johnson acknowledged the deal's flaws but urged Ukraine to take it, drawing a historical parallel to Britain's dependence on American aid during World War II. "Yes, it's extortionate looked at one way. But so was Lend-Lease in 1941, wasn't it? You Americans absolutely stiffed us. You took away our bases in the Caribbean, in Newfoundland. You gave us a load of absolutely useless destroyers. And we were still paying for it until 2006."

However, Johnson stressed that he sees "positive things" in the agreement. "This minerals deal commits the United States to a free, sovereign, and secure Ukraine. It commits the United States to long-term financial support for the stability and economic development of Ukraine. It has some language in there about sharing the profits... but there will not be a penny accruing to that fund unless you have a free, sovereign, and secure Ukraine."

Johnson went on to suggest that the deal would eventually "move out of the current very negative cycle," while arguing that it would also help Trump to convince some of his Republican allies of the necessity to continue supporting Ukraine.

Russia has accused Johnson, who has been one of the most hardline supporters of Ukraine in the West, of derailing early peace talks between Moscow and Kiev in 2022 by advising Ukraine to keep fighting. David Arakhamia, the head of the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations, later acknowledged that Johnson played an influential role in the process, although the former prime minister himself has denied the accusations.